Enduring Love
by Rayday
Summary: Edward leaves more then just Bella behind during New Moon. Unbeknownst to Edward, he leaves Bella pregnant and in more danger then he could have ever dreamed possible. Now three years later a reunion is possible – will they finally be a family or will a
1. Chapter 1

I would like to thank the two wonderful Beta's (My-Heart-Of_Music & lost in his golden eyes) from PTB who helped Beta this chapter for me. You have absolutely no idea how much I appreciate you both.

Description: Edward leaves more then just Bella behind during New Moon. Unbeknownst to Edward, he leaves Bella pregnant and in more danger then he could have ever dreamed possible. Now three years later a reunion is possible, will they finally be a family or will a new danger stop that from ever happening.

Disclaimer: All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. The original characters and plot are the property of the author. The author is in no way associated with the owners, creators, or producers of any media franchise. No copyright infringement is intended.

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**Enduring Love**

Chapter 1

There was only one word that I could use to explain what I was seeing right now, and that word was _fate_. I mean, how else could I possibly explain the fact that I was staring at four members of the Cullen family?

Part of me couldn't believe my eyes; I mean I have been helping Bella try to find the Cullen's since around two months after they left. Considering the fact that we were approaching Bella's twenty-first birthday, in addition to the three year mark of when they all left, it just seemed strange that we would all end up in Rochester, Minnesota at the same time.

Of course, if I was honest with myself, I would have to admit that it made sense that a doctor as good as Dr. Cullen would have a reason to come to the Mayo Clinic. It is, after all, one of the most renowned hospitals in the world. I just had to believe that it was a sign that they should be reunited with Bella, making Bella's family whole once again.

My hopes are that, if anything could come of all this, is that Bella and Edward could be together again. She still loved him so much, and I couldn't help but believe that Edward loved Bella too. But before any of that could take place, I had to work out a way for them to meet again. Which, considering how Bella always described Edward, could be a very complicated task.

Decided that, if I was ever going to do something to help my friend be happy again, I had to talk to the Cullens; now rather than later. If I waited, I would very likely miss this chance. I took a couple of deep breaths and then forced my legs to walk over to them. "Alice and Emmett Cullen. Is it really you?"

Alice and Emmett both turned around at the same time. Where Emmett looked a little bit confused, Alice was practically vibrating with excitement. If I hadn't been so nervous about what was about to happen, I probably would have considered it humorous. But before I knew it, Alice was pulling me into a hug. "Angela Weber, I can't believe it's you. How are you doing? Are you staying here? What news do you have about Forks?"

I could plainly see that the Cullen's were more than shocked by Alice's reactions to seeing me, but by the end of her questions and the mentioning of Forks, they seemed to understand. They all had to know that news about Forks would also mean news about Bella Swan.

Realizing that I had yet to respond to any of Alice's questions, I began to speak. "I'm doing good-wonderful, in fact, since I've found all of you. I'm, um… Actually I'm staying here at this hotel for the next week." At this point, I didn't think it was a good idea to tell them that I was here with Bella, or the others. That type of news would be better delivered somewhere a little more private.

Looking at all of them, I forced myself to continue, "Actually, if you have time during your stay here, I would love to talk to you all in private." Wanting to get my point across, I stared directly into Alice's eyes, hoping that I was able to convey to her just how important this is. If my eyes couldn't convey my need for this, maybe mentioning a certain person would work. I looked at all of them and said, "I have a lot of information I need to share with you all concerning Bella and Forks."

Immediately Mrs. Cullen got a hopeful look on her face, "We would love nothing more then to speak with you. Would you be available to come to our room?"

"I would love to Mrs. Cullen, but I need to take care of a few things first." I looked at my watch and noticed that it was almost eight. I would need enough time to go back to my room, get a few things and make up an excuse to Bella. "Could I maybe meet you up in your room in an hour?"

Mrs. Cullen gave me the warmest smile. "That would be wonderful dear, but you must call me Esme. We are staying in the Presidential Suite on the top floor. Come up whenever you can, it doesn't matter what time it is." One thing was for sure, Bella was dead on when she described Esme's loving nature; it was definitely something that pulled you in.

I watched as the Cullen's began to make their way to the elevator. I really hoped that I could pull this off. Needing a few more minutes, I stayed in the lobby in hopes of coming up with a good plan. Unfortunately, I realized I couldn't come up with anything, so I decided to just get it over with and make my way up to our own suite. I knew I was just going to have to wing it.

I very slowly made my way into our room and found Bella alone on the couch, reading a book. In all honesty, I thought Bella looked absolutely wonderful. And though for the most part I knew she was happy, she still truly missed the Cullen family, especially Edward.

"Hey Angela, did you have any luck at the gift shop?"

It wasn't until that moment that I realized that I had completely forgotten why I had gone downstairs in the first place-in search for something sweet. I had hoped to find a good piece of chocolate, when instead I found the Cullen's. "No I didn't find anything of interest."

I looked over at the table and noticed my laptop, when inspiration struck. "Actually, if you don't mind, I thought I would head to the all night coffee shop around the corner. I figured I could get some work done and enjoy a hot chocolate at the same time."

"I don't mind at all. I'm getting tired myself so I figured since the other two were already asleep, I would get to bed early as well." She looked at me with a sheepish grin before she continued. "Hopefully by the time you return, I'll be done with my sleep talking."

I chuckled. "Oh you're not that bad, your sleep talking is definitely quieter then Jacob's snoring."

Bella laughed. "That's probably true, though I would venture to say that my sleep talking is much more entertaining and embarrassing." I couldn't help but nod at what she was saying, it definitely was the comedic part of the night when you stayed overnight someplace with Bella Swan. When she saw me agree with her statement, she stuck her tongue out at me and said, "Go enjoy your hot chocolate. I'll see you in the morning."

Laughing, I made my way to the bedroom so that I could get my messenger bag and purse. I made sure to get a few things that I wanted to bring with me before I headed into the living area to get my laptop.

Once I had everything I needed, I turned to Bella. "I'll try to be quiet when I get back so I don't wake anyone."

"Don't worry about it. I'm just glad that you were willing to come with me. It means a lot to me."

"I was more than happy to come along," I said as I waved goodbye and made my way out of the room.

Looking at my watch, I realized that it had only taken me around fifteen minutes to get out of the room with a good story. I knew that before I handled this, I needed to call Jacob and let him know what I was going to do. I had always promised him that I would always be honest with him.

I pulled out my cell phone and was going to call, until I remembered the fact that vampires could have really good hearing. Not knowing for sure whether or not they could hear me right now, I decided to send Jacob a text instead of calling him.

_J-_

_BIG NEWS…I've run into four members of the Cullen family (Alice, Emmett, Dr. Cullen and his wife). I have spoken with them and have plans to go up to their room and visit with them tonight. I plan on telling them everything. _

_Please don't be worried, you know there is nothing to be worried about when it comes to the Cullen's. I'm hoping to reunite two people destined for each other. _

_FYI…There is no use trying to talk me out of it._

_3 A_

These were times that I was glad about the perks of being Jacob's imprint. His only wish was to make me happy, and with him knowing that I wanted to reunite Bella with the Cullen family, he wouldn't fight me too much on this.

In preparation to have more privacy with my phone call with Jacob, I decided I would try and be as truthful to Bella as possible, so I made my way to the coffee shop so that I could get that hot chocolate. She wouldn't need to know that I would not be drinking at the coffee shop; I was at least being honest with the act of going there.

As soon as I walked out of the hotel, my phone started to ring. I smiled at the caller ID seeing that Jake was calling. "Hello."

"Are you sure about his Ang?" Jacob's husky voice couldn't hide the worry I could hear it in his tone.

"You know that I am, Jake. You also know for a fact that there is nothing to be worried about when it comes to the Cullen family." In hopes of easing any tension he may be feeling, I added, "You know I wouldn't put myself in danger. I'm not a thrill seeker; never was and never will be."

"I know honey, I just worry about you. You know I don't want anything to happen to you. When I'm not around to guarantee that you're safe I tend to feel a little anxious."

"I know that. Why don't you tell me what you've been up to, anything happen after we left?"

A little too quickly for my liking, I could hear Jacob saying, "Why? What did you hear?"

Well, that definitely put me on edge, what had happened since we left yesterday? "Jake, spill. I can tell you're hiding something from me."

"Sam and Jared picked up a fresh scent this morning."

"Just a passerby? Or do you think it's more than that?" I asked, getting worried.

"We aren't sure yet. The scent is somewhat familiar, something we haven't smelled in a while. We're going to be doing more runs than normal, just to be on the safe side."

Needing to be a little careful with what I said now, I walked into the coffee shop and got in line. "Jake, do you think it could be one of the Cullen's? I could ask them later if any of them have been back recently."

"It doesn't smell like any of the Cullen's, but it's worth a shot."

"What can I get for you?" The teenage girl said once I got to the front of the very short line.

"Just a second Jake," I brought the phone down enough so that I could speak to the teenager behind the counter. "Yes, could I get a large hot chocolate please?"

"Would you like whipped cream on that?" She asked.

"Yes please." I smiled at her. What was the point to have a hot chocolate without whipped cream? It was just like a cherry at the top of a sundae; an absolute must, in my opinion.

"That will be $3.62 please."

I paid for the hot chocolate and got back onto the phone with Jake, "Sorry about that, Jake."

He laughed, "Let me guess, you're having one of your daily chocolate fixes?" He knew me and my need for something chocolate. I couldn't let a day pass without having something chocolate, and it was in a desperate situation that I would order a large hot chocolate.

"Yes." I could feel myself blush, but hey a girl's gotta have her chocolate. Trying to change the subject, I asked, "So how is Seth doing? Is he missing his Nessie time?"

Jake laughed, "He's a lost puppy without her around, but I guess I'm not one who should be talking. I find myself in the same boat. I really do miss you Ang."

I smiled, "Oh Jake, I miss you, too. More then you'll ever know."

"What time do you go meet with the Cullen's?"

I picked up my hot chocolate from the counter and started to make my way out the door. "I plan on going up to their room as soon as I get back to the hotel."

"What all are you going to tell them?"

"I plan on telling them everything that has happened since the day they left Forks."

"Does that include what happened to Ben?" I know he and the rest of the pack still blamed themselves for not getting there in enough time. They were against extremely bad odds on that night, it just couldn't be helped.

"Yes, I'm sorry Jake, but I plan on telling them about that as well. I hope you don't mind."

"I'm just worried about your feelings during that part of the story. I know it was a very difficult time in your life, and I feel so bad that you ever had to go through that."

My eyes started to tear up, not at the memory of Ben this time, but at the pain I could hear in Jacob's voice. "Jacob, honey, I'm fine. Yes, it was a sad time in my life, and a part of me will always love him, but I am deeply in love with you now. Okay?"

I heard him sigh, "I love you, too, Ang. Please be safe."

"I will. I want you to be safe as well. I'm nervous about you being out there with a possible threat in the area." As soon as I said the words, I internally cringed. I knew I had just unleashed the cocky Jacob.

"Don't worry about me; I'm excited about the fun this will be."

"Jake, stop it."

"Sure, sure." Yep, the cocky Jacob was out.

I was getting close to the hotel, so I decided it was time to get off the phone. "I've gotta go, I'll call you tomorrow to let you know how everything went, okay?"

"Okay. Love you, Ang."

"I love you, too. Bye."

"Bye."

I placed my cell phone back into my bag and made my way into the hotel. Once I got into the elevator, I started repeating the lines the Little Engine That Could was always saying. _I think I can. I think I can. I think I can._

It was only moments later that I found myself at the door to their room. I took several deep breaths and knocked, but before I could even finish my second knock, the door was opened by Dr. Cullen.

"Angela, it's good to see you. Please come in."

Looking around their room, I was in awe at the splendor of their suite. There was a large living room, kitchen and dining area with very expensive furnishings. I could only guess what the bedrooms looked like.

"Thank you Dr. Cullen. I'm glad that you all agreed to meet with me."

Following him into the room, Dr. Cullen spoke, "Please, call me Carlisle."

When Carlisle went and stood next to his wife, Esme grinned at me. "It was wonderful to finally meet you downstairs Angela. Alice and Edward always mentioned what a nice, caring person you always were." Alice grinned and nodded her head in agreement.

I could feel my cheeks grow pink from embarrassment due to her kind words. "That was very nice of them."

Never having spoken to Emmett when we went to school together, I was shocked when he started to speak to me. "So how's Bella?" He gave me what I would consider a worried look. "How's my little sister, Angela?"

I was touched by his endearment. "I'm glad to hear that you think of Bella like that. I know she has always considered you like a big brother, Emmett."

"Really?" He said with the most hopeful look on his face.

"Most definitely. I know for a fact that Bella always felt this kind of sisterly affection towards you. Add to that, the fact that you would find any reason to embarrass her, made her think of you as a big brother." The fact that Bella could be embarrassed so easily probably made it all the more fun for someone like Emmett.

Emmett got the hugest grin on his face. "Cool!"

I had to get started while I still had the courage. "I have a lot of information I need to tell you. Is there a certain place you would like to do this?"

Carlisle waved his hand over to the table, "We normally have family meetings at the dining room table." The mention at the dining room table almost made me laugh. I knew that would be the only thing they do around the table. Being brought into their secret a little over two years ago, I knew they didn't eat food.

Alice must have noticed my reaction to Carlisle's comment. "Angela, you have to tell us everything that we have missed; both the good and the bad."

"It will be hard, but I need to do this. You all need to understand what you left behind." I was going to work on remaining calm. Although I understood why they probably left, it didn't mean I didn't get angry about how this affected Bella. "Before we begin, there are a few things I need to go over."

"Please, go ahead. Feel free to say whatever you like." Carlisle seemed to get the sense that what I may have to say regarding Bella may not be nice towards any of them.

"Some things that I have to tell you, you aren't going to like very much."

We all sat down at the table where I asked my first question. "May I ask where the rest of your family is?"

They all had to know that my question in particular had to do with Edward's whereabouts. Esme looked at me and answered, "The rest of them are at home. Originally it was only supposed to be Carlisle and me on this trip, but before we left Alice, said that she and Emmett had to come with us."

Being surprised by that comment, I looked at Alice with what I would assume was a surprised look on my face. "Did you see something, Alice?"

To say they were surprised by my question was an understatement. They all sat there, perfectly still. I decided to explain my question. "Okay, I will be upfront about this. Due to extenuating circumstances-and not because of Bella-I know that you're all vampires."

When they didn't respond, I continued, "Shortly after my high school graduation, Jacob Black-one of the Quileute members down in La Push-imprinted on me." That comment got Carlisle reanimated, looking at him and I went on. "You see, the wolves are back in La Push. And when I saw Jacob again after he started phasing, he imprinted on me."

"What does that mean?" Emmett asked, clearly confused.

Carlisle answered the question for me. "When a wolf imprints, it means that they, in essence, meet their soul mate. When this happens, they can't keep secrets from that person. That person is then brought in on our secrets."

Emmett just stared at me with his mouth hanging open. "Wow, seriously?"

"Yes, but I have to admit that I'm glad I know. My knowing made it a lot easier on Bella. She was finally able to talk to someone other than Jacob, who up to that point, was not very sympathetic when it came to your family."

Alice looked a little relieved by this. "Is that how you know about my special ability? Did Bella tell you?" When I nodded, she finally answered my question from earlier. "In all honesty, it wasn't that I saw anything. I could see that Carlisle and Esme were going to meet somebody, but I couldn't see the person. It was so strange, though I couldn't see who it was. I could see a meeting taking place in this room, where Carlisle and Esme would hear some things that would cause a wide range in emotions."

At those words, I could easily believe what I would say, in addition to the emotions that would cause. Alice continued with telling her vision. "From their reactions to the meeting, I made an executive decision that it would be best if Emmett and I joined them on this trip. I figured that we could maybe help out in some way."

"Okay. Well, I'm glad you joined them, but do you think we should include the rest of your family in this discussion?" Part of me was absolutely relieved that I didn't have to worry about Edward being here to read my thoughts right now. When they saw me shudder at my own question, I tried to reassure them with what I was thinking. "Don't get me wrong, I truly believe that Edward should hear all of this. I know that Bella wants you all to know everything, especially Edward. I just don't want him close enough to read my thoughts. I also think it would be beneficial to Edward to be near Jasper when he hears this. I have a feeling that Edward will truly need help from Jasper when he hears this story. From everything that Bella has told me about Edward, he was always someone who was prone to overreacting or even being overly dramatic about certain situations, and what I need to share with you will probably cause a roller coaster of reactions."

"Overreaction is Edward's middle name," Emmett muttered. It appeared that Emmett was sick of this particular tendency of Edward's.

After a moment, Alice spoke, "Angela is right. It is a good thing that Jasper is there with Edward. I can see him being his normal overreacting, head-up-his-butt, doesn't-know-when-to-just-stop-brother."

Emmett chuckled. "Awe Alice, you're just talking nice so you don't scare Angela. I've heard you be much more creative in your descriptions of Edward before." Alice stuck her tongue out at him, causing Emmett to laugh even more. "Everyone knows that any news pertaining to Bella will invoke a very dramatic Edward."

"Look whose being nice with their words in front of Angela, now." Alice sneered, causing me to laugh.

Emmett got really serious then, I wasn't sure if it was due to Alice's comment or just thinking about what I may have to tell them. "Actually it's probably a good thing that I'm not near him. I can honestly say that if he did anything really bad, I would probably rip him to shreds."

I felt a shudder go through me, both from the look on Emmett's face and comments. I knew that what I had to tell them could cause them a lot of pain, and if Emmett was as protective of Bella as he appeared to be at this moment, Edward wouldn't stand a chance. And I really didn't want to witness a vampire dismembering.

"I vote that we contact them and arrange a family meeting using Skype," Alice said while picking up her cell phone. "I'll call Jasper while you guys connect the laptop to the plasma." And with that Alice walked into the other room.

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I hope you will let me know what you think of my story!


	2. Chapter 2

I would like to take the time to thank the wonderful betas (HEAR & Flibbertigidget) who helped me so much to help clean up this chapter. I truly appreciate all of the help that you provided to help me clean up this chapter.

Disclaimer: All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. The original characters and plot are the property of the author. The author is in no way associated with the owners, creators, or producers of any media franchise. No copyright infringement is intended.

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**Chapter 2**

I had already known that this evening's discussion with the four Cullen family members was going to be difficult, but I had somehow prepared myself for it. Now I'd just made it a thousand times more difficult on myself by trying to include the entire family. Deep down I still wholeheartedly believed that they all needed to know about everything, but what was once just a throng of butterflies in my stomach was now an all out herd of rhino's.

While trying to calm down my stomach, I watched Esme and Emmett get the laptop hooked up to the fifty inch plasma TV in the living area of their suite. While watching them, I started to wonder if it would be too much of an inconvenience to them if during our meeting I eventually showed everyone digital pictures that I had with me.

"Um… Emmett?" I asked, slightly intimidated by the massively huge vampire. "At some point during our meeting I would like to show some digital pictures that I have with me. Would you have any problem with me hooking up my external hard drive to your laptop when that time comes, so that everyone will have the ability to see them?"

Emmett looked over at me and grinned. "Sure thing, that shouldn't be a problem at all. Just let me know when that time comes, and I can help you out if you want."

I gave a small smile. "Thank you."

Carlisle must have noticed just how nervous I was because he slowly made his way over to me. Since it was really only the first time I had spent any time around Carlisle, this was my first time seeing just how perfect he was for a role as a doctor. Somehow he just seemed to have a real ability to make a person seem important in a way that could probably help anybody trust him. All you had to do was look into his caring, peaceful face and you could tell that he would do everything he could to keep you from feeling discomfort.

"I just wanted to let you know that Alice isn't telling Jasper anything about you being here. We figured it would be best to not mention that quite yet. I hope you don't mind?"

"Not at all, it actually makes a lot of sense to handle it this way. Where do you think is the best place for me to be when you get started?" Part of me truly hoped that I could hide someplace for a few minutes, but I would do whatever Carlisle thought was best.

"I think for starters it would be best if you waited in one of the bedrooms. It would give us an opportunity to bring them up to speed on everything that has happened so far tonight. I can only imagine the reactions that my other three children are capable of having and I would like to keep you from having to witness that. I hope you don't mind."

_Mind?_ Why on earth would I mind? That sounded absolutely perfect to me at the moment. "I don't mind at all, Carlisle. Is there a specific room you would prefer me to wait in?"

Carlisle just smiled at me and proceeded to lead me to one of the bedrooms. While I slowly drank the rest of my hot chocolate, I methodically went through all my digital photos, putting together a slideshow that I could show them all. Part of me was really starting to feel guilty that I was doing this behind Bella's back, but I knew this needed to be done. At this point all I could do was cross my fingers and hope for the best.

Eventually I figured they must have started the meeting because every once in a while I could hear a raised voice. I figured that whatever was being said to the other Cullens someone was bound to get upset by it, so I tried my hardest to just ignore it all. I knew that if I tried to listen in on what was being said, I would only get more nervous.

Finally after what felt like hours Alice walked into the bedroom and gave me a shining smile. "We're ready, Angela." For some reason I had a feeling she would enjoy the potential torture this would have on Edward. I had a feeling that Edward was a very lucky man at the moment. Not only was he out of immediate danger from Emmett, but he also didn't have to hear what was going on in Alice's little head. My best guess was that she would be saying, '_I told you so. Why on earth do you have to be such a stupid, idiotic, overbearing idiot?'_ At least that's what I would be saying if I were Alice.

After I got all of my things together, I nervously made my way back into the other room and followed Alice to the seat that she directed me to. It was then that I realized I was being seated between Esme and Alice. I felt myself relax even more when I felt Alice put her arm around my midsection and whisper.

"Everything is going to be okay. Just take your time." I gave her a weak smile and concentrated on the cup of hot chocolate in my hands in an attempt to channel my fear away from me and onto an inanimate object.

When I was finally able to gain the courage needed, I lifted my eyes to the TV. There on the TV screen was the rest of the Cullen family; Edward, Jasper and Rosalie were sitting on the couch in their home, wherever that may be, but it wasn't the three of them that got my immediate attention. What got my attention was something I would never have expected to see, though I really shouldn't have been overly surprised considering their wealth.

Hanging on the wall behind the three of them was a breathtaking painting I'd seen a few times before. It was a beautiful landscape of children enjoying a beachfront sunset. The scene was so serene that it seemed to give me a sense of calm I wouldn't have thought was possible at the moment. I knew that if things started to get rough, I would focus on the painting and let it calm me.

I finally tore my gaze away from the painting, my eyes wandering toward Edward. I could see the same look of utter desolation I used to see on Bella's face. Although Bella was happier now, she never could remove all of the sadness from her eyes. I knew that the only thing that would truly bring all of Bella's happiness back would be if Edward came back into her life where he belonged. Wanting my best friend to be happy, I was determined to do whatever I could to make that a reality.

Rosalie had a look I completely expected to receive from her, a look of pure and utter hatred. Between my own times seeing her at school in addition to what Bella had told me about Rosalie, there was one thing I knew. Rosalie disliked humans and absolutely, positively hated Bella Swan.

Where I felt dread over seeing Rosalie I felt quite the opposite when I saw Jasper sitting on the other side of Edward. Considering his ability, I could only imagine how hard this meeting would be for Jasper. Not only would he feel every range of emotion Edward and Rosalie would experience, but he also would have to deal with his own feelings as well.

Carlisle being head of their unique family was the first to speak.

"Angela, I have explained to the others how we ran into you earlier tonight down in the lobby. I also explained what you told us when you first got here." From Rosalie's expression I could tell she was beyond furious, but I turned my eyes to Carlisle so that I didn't have to see Rosalie for the next few minutes. "I hope that you can feel comfortable enough to tell us everything, but we will understand if you change your mind."

Esme put her arm around my shoulder, giving me a reassuring squeeze. "Hello, Edward."

"Hello, Angela, you look well." His voice sounded so dead, so monotone, not like the musical quality it had last time I saw him.

"Thank you, I am well. I hope you don't mind, but I would like to begin by reassuring you that Bella is well." I could see relief come across most of their faces. "In fact, Bella is here in Rochester. I guess if I am to be perfectly honest with you all, the last time I saw her she was downstairs in our room getting ready for bed."

Alice absolutely did not disappoint me with her reaction, she instantly started bouncing up and down and squeaked, "Bella's here? In Minnesota?" At the same exact moment I saw Edward's face express a mixture of both joy and pain. I figured that the joy was in knowing that Bella was alive, while the pain was maybe due to the fact that he wasn't as close to her as others in his family were at this very moment.

"Yes, Bella is in town with me, I decided to tag along with her when she found out she had some business to take care of." Actually that wasn't quite accurate but it was mostly true. "When I saw the four of you downstairs, I just knew that this meeting was meant to be. I know without a shadow of doubt that she would give anything to see every single one of you again." Before saying anything else I looked right at Edward's image on the TV. "And Edward, just so you know, Bella still loves you just as much now as she did when you were still together."

It sounded as if Edward made a pained sob before choking out, "Thank you, Angela."

"If it's okay with you all, I would like to start this off with a question for you, Edward, because at the moment I don't know exactly where to start." When Edward looked at me with a confused look on his face I continued. "I truly hope that you were upfront with your family about this, or I may be putting you in a very awkward position, and for that I am sorry. Does your family know exactly what you said to Bella that day in the woods?"

Edward's eyes became as big as saucers and the only word that came out of his lips was, "No."

"What did you say, Edward?" It was quite obvious that not even Alice knew what transpired that day which I found odd, especially considering her ability to see the future. I decided to make a mental note to come back to that in a few minutes. Right now all I did was look at a very uncomfortable looking Edward.

"After school that afternoon, Edward asked Bella to go for a walk with him into the woods outside Charlie's house. Once they were there, Edward proceeded to tell her you were all leaving Forks. When she asked whether or not she could come with him, Edward basically told her he didn't want her anymore, that he was tired of pretending to be something he wasn't. Then if that wasn't bad enough, given the fact that it has always been completely obvious how insecure Bella is, he finished his little speech by telling her she wasn't good enough for him."

I could clearly see the shame on Edward's face, in addition to the shock on everyone else's. But what surprised me the most was Rosalie. Without any hesitation Rosalie went off and smacked Edward in the back of the head and hissed. "Idiot!"

Esme was practically sobbing she was so upset. "Edward how could you hurt Bella like that? You told us only that she understood why we were leaving. That we were leaving so that we could keep her safe."

I gave a snort of derision at that, if they had only known then how much danger she was really in they never would have thought that. It seemed that they honestly believed that there would be no more dangers in Forks once they left.

"Just so you know, Edward, Bella tried to follow you that day in the woods. She walked further and further into the woods, getting more lost the further she went. Eventually she somehow ended up lying down on the ground where she made no attempts of getting up. When Charlie got home from work and found a note Bella has since told me she never wrote, telling him that she had gone on a walk with Edward, he began to get nervous." Though I had already known Edward wrote the note, his reaction confirmed it. "He first tried calling your house, hoping to get a hold of someone, but eventually he tried calling Carlisle at the hospital which is when he found out you all had left town. This made him even more worried so he put together search parties to try and find her. It took several hours and around a third of the town, but finally around two in the morning she was found by Sam Uley."

"Was she hurt?" Emmett asked in a tone that promised pain to Edward.

I looked over at Emmett, where I could clearly see that all of his anger was directed at his idiot brother. "Bella wasn't physically injured, but emotionally she was devastated. For that first week after you all left, Bella stayed in her room, pretty much catatonic." Alice and Esme were now quietly sobbing at the knowledge of what happened to Bella that night.

"At the end of the week, per Charlie's request, Renee came to Forks. Charlie thought that maybe if Bella left Forks she would get better. Also I don't think Charlie wanted to be the one to make a decision if it was determined that Bella needed to be put into a psychiatric hospital, something the doctor had mentioned at some point that week." Edward cringed at the mention of a psychiatric hospital, but I refused to feel sorry for him right now. This had been his fault. "Needless to say when Bella realized what was happening she woke up and threw an absolute fit, refusing to leave."

Emmett chuckled and when he realized he was getting weird looks from the rest of his family he just shrugged and said, "What? You gotta love her temper."

When everyone just rolled their eyes at Emmett I decided to take the focus off of him and continued the story.

"Even though Bella stayed in Forks, she wasn't really there. For those first two months she was completely lifeless. Lauren being her normal crude self started to refer to Bella as the She-zombie behind her back, but that is basically how she acted. She would go to school, work and took care of the house like she always had but it was as if she wasn't there. She refused to listen to music, watch TV, read books or even speak to anyone at school. If anyone mentioned your family, especially Edward's name she would clutch her midsection as if she was fighting to keep herself in one piece."

Carlisle seemed confused about something, so it was at this point that he stopped me so that he could ask a question. "You said she was like this for the first two months?" When I nodded he asked me the one question I was expecting. "What happened after those first two months to change her pattern of behavior?"

"Well I will answer that question in just a moment, but if you don't mind I actually need to ask Alice a question first."

"What is it, Angela?" Alice asked.

"Can I assume by your reaction a few minutes ago, that you did not see how Edward was going to leave Bella?"

"No. I didn't see anything." Alice looked extremely upset about this. "Believe me if I had I would have stopped him."

"I thought so." I felt that somehow everything was starting to come together now. "Do you mind telling me when your last vision of Bella was?" I had my suspicions about this and I was hoping to find out.

"When was my last vision of Bella?" When I nodded she replied, "The last vision I had that included Bella happened the morning of her eighteenth birthday. I saw Bella trying to get out of coming to our house for her birthday party. I haven't seen anything else since then."

"Hmmm. . . Actually that's exactly what I thought." I whispered to myself, forgetting that I was with a group of vampires who had excellent hearing.

Esme placed her hand on my knee before asking, "Why do you say that?" She seemed clearly confused by my reaction to Alice's comments.

"Well you see, I've always believed that if you had seen any of the events that happened to Bella or even the town of Forks you would have come back."

Alice looked really upset. "I don't like the sound of that, Angela. What happened exactly?"

"Believe me you won't like a lot of what I need to tell you. Since your departure from Forks a lot has happened, but your answer just kind of confirmed my theory as to why you don't see Bella anymore." I looked over at Carlisle and continued, "In fact it also helps me answer Carlisle's question regarding Bella's change in mood two months after your departure."

Looking quite curious Carlisle asked, "What would that be?"

I stared at the tortured face of Edward. "Edward, can you remember anything that happened that afternoon, something that may have changed Alice's ability to see Bella?"

Edward's eyes widened at my question. "Huh? What do you mean? What have you been told?" He clearly was not going to admit anything, willingly at least. I knew deep down that he knew exactly what I was talking about. Why was he so scared? Then again, knowing how they reacted to his little speech to Bella when they left, how would they react now, once they found out about this?

"What are you talking about, Angela?" Jasper asked while giving Edward an odd look. "Edward whatever it is I can tell for a fact that it's something you're dreading for us to hear. I can feel guilt, pain and absolute dread coming over you Edward. What on earth did you do?"

Looking at Edward's tortured face, I began my theory after it was obvious that he was not going to answer. "The day you had your last vision, the same day as the birthday mishap, all of that happened the same day as something else." I silently pleaded with the Edward on the TV hoping he would say something, but he didn't. I wasn't even sure if he was paying attention right now.

Alice seemed to be getting extremely impatient with me. "Please, Angela, I'm begging you to please tell me what happened that day. Why do you think it caused my ability to see Bella to stop?"

"Well you see, after school that day, Bella and Edward went back to her house to watch Romeo and Juliet." When Alice nodded I continued, "That same afternoon something changed in their relationship."

"What happened, Angela?" Esme asked, sounding anxious.

"That afternoon Bella and Edward took the next step in their relationship."

As soon as the last words were out of my mouth I saw Edward cringe while Alice, Emmett, Jasper and Rosalie all stood up and shouted at the same time. "YOU DID WHAT?"

"YOU BETTER BE THANKING YOUR LUCKY STARS THAT I AM NOT THERE RIGHT NOW! HOW COULD YOU LEAVE HER AFTER THAT?" Emmett was so angry. It was a good thing that he was not with Edward, though at the moment it looked like Jasper and Rosalie would gladly take his place.

Alice, attempting to find out more asked, "Why do you think Edward and Bella having sex, turned off my ability to see her any more?"

Edward wanting his own question answered as well asked, "Bella actually told you?"

Edward's question actually made me angry, so I tried to speak as calmly as possible, "The reason I think Alice can't see Bella anymore, the reason she came out of her zombie like state and the reason I know about what happened between the two of you, Edward, is all the same. Because on that afternoon, something happened to Bella when you two had sex."

"What happened, Angela?" Alice was almost panicked at this point.

"Two months after you left, Bella realized that she was pregnant." There were audible gasps heard all around us as what I said settled over the Cullens like a fog.

Edward looked stunned, "What do you mean Bella found out she was pregnant? How on earth is that even possible?"

I looked at him, a bit floored by his questions. "Excuse me? Are you actually asking me how Bella could have ended up pregnant after you two had sex? Shouldn't you know how it works, you were there after all." I could hear Emmett and Alice chuckle softly at what I said, but I ignored them. "I mean my God, Edward I could have sworn that Bella had told me that you had acquired a couple of medical degrees in your lifetime. Didn't you ever learn about the birds and the bees and the possible outcomes that could arise from having unprotected sex?" Was he just in shock or was he actually being serious right now? I really didn't remember him being this dense when I knew him in Forks. He had always seemed so intelligent back then.

Edward rolled his eyes at me. "Angela, I know very well how the whole birds and the bees process works, what I meant is that I had always been under the assumption that once I was turned it was impossible for me to be able to father a child. Carlisle, did you know this was possible?"

Carlisle shook his head. "No, Edward. I had no idea that this was possible. Even though I have heard legends about the possibility, I always thought of it as myths." Carlisle turned to look at me. "I'm sorry, Angela if we seem a little shocked by this new development in your story. It just seems so unbelievable."

"No that's okay, Carlisle. I guess I can understand how you are all shocked by this."

"Bella and I have a child together? I'm a father?" The shock was quite evident on Edward's face in addition to his voice.

"Yes. To be perfectly honest with you, Edward, you are actually the father of twins." I couldn't help the grin that spread across my face when I thought of them. "You have the most beautiful daughter and son in the entire world."

Anyone watching Edward could see the struggle he was having with this new information, no matter how much he wanted to believe it. After what felt like several minutes he whispered, "What are their names?"

"I have pictures that I will show you all later, but your daughter's name is Renesmee Carlie Cullen. Her name is a combination of her grandparents' names—Renee and Esme for her first name, Carlisle and Charlie for her middle name." Both Carlisle and Esme's face lit up at that little bit of news. "Renesmee looks almost identical to Bella; the only thing that is different is her hair color. She has the same bronze colored hair you have, Edward. I have to say that at the age of two she is already well on her way to breaking many hearts." Though she most definitely had one persons heart without even trying, I wasn't about to get into the fact that she had also been imprinted on. That little tidbit was just going to have to wait a while.

"Your son's name is Masen Edward Cullen, obviously being named after his father, but Bella was adamant to make sure your biological family was also represented which is why she went with your human surname. He has Bella's hair color, but everything else about Masen screams Edward, right down to your trademark crooked grin that dazzles her. According to Bella, he even has your human eye color of emerald green." Bella had been so happy about this, she had always wished she had the ability to see Edward's human eyes, and now she could.

That seemed to startle Edward. "How did she know what my human eye color was? I never told her."

"I did," Carlisle answered, "It was the night of her eighteenth birthday, while I was stitching up her arm."

Emmett, who seemed excited at hearing about his niece and nephew asked, "When you mentioned earlier that Bella is in town, are the kiddos here too?"

I grinned. "Yes of course they are, Bella won't go anywhere without her children."

Emmett was practically bouncing up and down he was so excited. "Do you think we'll be able to see all three of them?"

"That could be arranged, although I think you all should hear the entire story first."

"Please continue," Carlisle said. "We want to know everything, regardless of what it is."

I nodded. "When Bella found out she was pregnant she was basically ostracized by everyone at school. The only people willing to talk to her at school were Mike, Ben and me."

At the mention of Mike's name I could hear Edward growl. When I looked up at the TV, Rosalie waved off his response.

"Oh don't mind the jealous bastard. We all know he has no right to be angry that Mike Newton stayed friends through that. Knowing Bella she was probably grateful that he stuck by her." Rosalie's reaction was quite surprising to me. I wondered what could have happened to change her demeanor.

"Bella was extremely thankful. She slowly started to act like her old self. Mike, Ben and I were there for her at school, while Jacob Black and Bella spent a lot of time together outside of school. Well at least they did until she was around five months along. That was around the time that Jacob started phasing and Sam the pack leader decided that it was in Bella's best interest that Jacob stay away from her until he obtained better control of his phasing. Sam didn't want to see Bella get injured the same way Emily did."

"Who's Emily?" Jasper asked.

"Well Emily is Sam's wife, his imprint. You see, Sam was the very first wolf and learned the hard way what can happen when he loses his temper when he is near someone. He got overly upset one day and phased too close to Emily. She now has scars that will never go away, and I think Sam will feel guilty about it for the rest of his life."

Carlisle looked startled. "I remember hearing about that. We got reports at our hospital about a young Native American woman being attacked by a bear. I'm assuming that's the cover story they came up with?"

"Yes, that's why Sam was so careful when someone else started phasing. He wouldn't allow the new member of the pack to spend much, if any, time with humans. He wanted them to learn better control before putting anyone at risk."

"I would think that would be the safest way to go about things while they are so new to that way of life. It's too bad no one had been there for Sam." Esme said in a very sympathetic voice, and I just nodded in response.

"Anytime Bella tried calling, Billy would just give her excuses about Jacob being really sick with mono. But Bella didn't believe Billy; she knew that something else had to be going on."

Edward practically snorted at that. "That is so typical Bella. Anytime there is a mystery she will pick away at it to find out what it is. She won't give up."

I smiled. "Well, what can I say? That's Bella for you. While all of this was going on, some people started spreading stories about massively large bears being seen in the area, and there were also reports of campers going missing. Unfortunately it wasn't the wolves causing the disappearances, it was vampires. That was when the wolves were seen by people. They were out trying to pickup the trail of two vampires in the area."

I could slowly feel the tension building during this part of the story, but that really was unavoidable, and I knew that it was only going to get worse. "Charlie told Bella that she should stay out of the woods until the animal was caught, but Bella being Bella…."

At that Edward groaned. "Bella being Bella? You mean she was her typical stubborn self and went into the woods anyway, regardless of the warnings of dangerous creatures in the area?"

"Yes," I said, causing everyone else to groan along with Edward. I could tell how well they'd known Bella from the way they all responded. I knew that if Bella were here right now she would be rolling her eyes at their predictable reactions. At the time, she thought that she had very valid reasons, and I was positive that once Edward found out he would act a little differently.

"What did you expect, Edward? Bella wanted to feel closer to you; she wanted to go to your meadow. She felt that she could have a stronger connection to you if she went there." When I saw Edward's face scrunch up, I knew all I could do was continue. "She also wanted to go there and tell the babies all about their beautiful, loving father and the rest of his family. But Bella is a danger magnet and it was probably around an hour after getting there that she noticed a familiar face come out into the meadow." I was dreading Edward's reaction to this.

"Who was it?" Alice asked.

"Laurent."

Before today, I had imagined hearing one menacing vampire would be a scary thing to be around, but to hear seven of them at the same time was downright terrifying. I shuddered at the sound, but I was determined to continue.

"He started asking her questions about where you all were and laughed when he realized you all had left her pregnant and unprotected. Bella was determined to keep him talking, anything to try and keep the babies' safe." I don't think I could have been coherent enough to keep my head during this. To think that Bella had been brave enough to try and distract him was amazing to me.

"Eventually Laurent brought up the fact that he was doing a favor for Victoria." Again I was terrified by the vicious snarls coming out of everyone. The most menacing of them all was, of course, Edward. "She wanted Laurent to find out how easy it was to get to Bella. You see, she considered Edward responsible for the death of James and she felt it only fitting to do away with her. Mate for a mate Laurent said, only she had plans to make it a very slow and painful death for Bella."

At that I could see both Jasper and Rosalie restraining Edward. He was definitely not taking any of this well. I raised my voice in hopes of getting his attention through all of his snarls. "Edward, you must calm down. You need to remember Bella is ALIVE. Your children are ALIVE! Three people still here that would not be here if either one of those monsters had been successful!"

Thankfully that seemed to help, and once Edward calmed down I continued, "Laurent made a comment to her about the fact that Victoria was going to be upset with him. He was too thirsty to let her go, but before Laurent could get any closer, five wolves walked out. Sam thought that the shock of Laurent and the wolves may be unhealthy for Bella; he figured she might feel safer if Jacob stayed with her. Jacob was given orders to phase back to his human form and to explain everything to Bella, if she was calm enough to handle it. So while the others chased down Laurent to kill him, Jacob phased and started to tell Bella everything.

"Once Jacob finished explaining, Bella explained who Laurent was and told him about Victoria's plan." This part of the story I liked because it showed Jacob's softer side. "Not wanting to put Bella and the babies under anymore stress, he carried her back to her truck and drove her home so that she could rest. It was on that day that Sam put into motion an around-the-clock watch over Bella. Also, in her attempts to keep as many people safe as possible, Bella decided to switch over to an online home schooling program."

Alice giggled. "That is so typical Bella, worry about everyone else first." Everyone else nodded their heads in agreement with Alice.

"Not having much else to do, Bella completed high school in a matter of just a couple weeks. During that time all activity regarding Victoria stopped and over the next two or three months nothing happened with the external dangers threatening Bella."

"What do you mean external dangers? Did the pregnancy cause her additional dangers?" I hadn't paid attention to who asked, but it definitely sounded like Edward.

"No, the pregnancy didn't give her any problems. In fact the pregnancy brought to light another more dangerous health issue. Bella started having some other medical symptoms that came to the forefront when she was seven months along. It's a good thing that she was pregnant, otherwise those symptoms may not have been noticed and things could have ended up a whole lot worse."

Carlisle decided at that time to ask me another question while at the same time apparently some kind of sign I didn't see because while Carlisle asked me his question, Jasper took hold of Edward's shoulders, probably sending him an extra large wave of calmness. "What did Bella have?"

"She was diagnosed with having a very aggressive case of ovarian cancer. The doctors wanted to deliver the babies right away but Bella refused. She was determined that Renesmee and Masen be completely ready to be born. She informed the doctors that she would not deliver the babies any earlier then thirty-seven weeks."

"Why thirty-seven weeks?" Alice asked.

"A woman is classified as full-term once they reach thirty-seven weeks gestation. It means that most babies will have no trouble surviving if they are born at that time." Carlisle explained.

"During the next five weeks not much happened, other then Bella's attempts to find you all. She wanted you all to know about the babies and to be there for them if she couldn't. Finally at thirty-seven weeks she went in for a combination cesarean and hysterectomy while they also took the necessary tissue samples needed to see how far the cancer had spread. What they discovered was that the cancer had already spread to her abdominal wall. She was classified as having stage four ovarian cancer with only a ten percent chance at survival."

"Did she start chemo then?" Alice asked.

"She did, but she first needed to have a few weeks for her incision to heal." I took several deep breaths to try and calm myself down. This next part of the story affected me the most, and I had to keep a handle on my emotions.

Esme, noticing my anxiety asked, "Are you okay dear?"

Having finished my hot chocolate by this point I thought I would stall by requesting a drink. "Do you mind if I get a drink of water?"

"No problem, Angela, I'll be back in just a second." And quite literally Alice was back in a second with a bottle of water from the mini-fridge, at the same time taking away my excuse for a break.

"Thank you, Alice." I took a few sips of water and went on. "Around the same time the twins were born, the pack started to notice a trend on the news. There were reports coming out of Seattle regarding a massive increase in murders."

While Edward hissed Jasper said, "A newborn army?" When he noticed my confused expression he elaborated. "I'm assuming that Victoria created a lot of vampires to use them in her plan to get Bella and probably the wolves as well?"

"That's exactly what it was. Sam Uley put the clues together and increased patrols to include the entire region. It was also decided that due to the increased danger that Bella and the twins were in, Charlie had to be partly told about mythical beings. He knows about the wolves and that their sole reason of being here was to protect humans. They explained what kind of danger Bella and the babies were in, but never told him about vampires, though I think he suspects." I couldn't tell what their thoughts were about Charlie knowing something. I hoped they weren't too upset about it.

"From that point on Charlie, Bella and the babies basically lived on the rez. Sue Clearwater invited them to come and stay with her. Sue's husband Harry, one of Charlie's best friends had just recently died of a heart attack and having them stay with her helped her as well. It also didn't hurt that her daughter and son were both wolves, allowing even better protection."

Emmett looked like he wanted to break out in hysterics. "A girl wolf. I would never have thought that was possible." Clearly the idea of a female wolf was too much for his child-like brain to handle.

I could see that Rosalie was not amused by her husband's reaction and gave him a menacing look. "Alice will you do the honors in my absence?"

Alice grinned and proceeded to walk over to Emmett. "It would be my pleasure," she said, swiftly hitting him on the back of the head.

"Ow!" Emmett rubbed the back of his head, while pushing out his bottom lip in a pout.

Rosalie gave her husband one more scowl then asked, "Angela will you please tell us the rest?" The looks everyone gave Rosalie showed just how surprised they were by her question and nice demeanor. Clearly it was a rare thing for her.

"It was a few days after her first chemo treatment and Bella was very ill. Wanting to keep the res safe in addition to Bella and the babies, Sam split up the pack. Five stayed on the res while the other five went out to the woods."

"Ten wolves? Earlier you said there were only five." Emmett had a look of awe on his face.

"Yes, but by the time Victoria came back with her army there were ten. You see the wolf gene gets activated when there is a danger of vampires in the area. The phasing started up after you all moved back to Forks, and even after you left the threat of Laurent and Victoria in addition to all of the ones in Seattle continued or sped up the changing process. Twelve year olds were starting to phase by the time Victoria and her army appeared."

"Oh my!" Esme exclaimed.

"Fascinating," seemed to be the only word Carlisle could say about that.

"The day the newborn army came was also the same day as the Forks High School graduation ceremony. I had already agreed to stay at home and watch my brothers that evening so that my parents could go out for their wedding anniversary, so I didn't go out to celebrate that day. The rest of the gang decided that they all wanted to go camping to celebrate. Ben had offered to stay with me, but I told him to go have fun, that we would do something special later." My eyes started to prickle with tears, but I knew it was important to tell them.

"The wolves found the newborns, but there were nineteen of them. At some point during the battle a few of the vampires got away. As soon as the wolves finished off the ones still there they went in pursuit of the ones who got away. Unfortunately, it was too late, they got to the campsite just as the vampires were finished killing Ben and the rest of the gang."

"Oh Angela, I'm so sorry about Ben," Alice pulled me into a hug while silent tears fell from my eyes. "You and Ben always seemed so happy together. Do you mind telling us who all went camping that night?"

I took a deep breath. "Well, the gang included Ben, Mike, Eric, Jessica, Lauren, Tyler and Conner."

"Oh dear, so much death, I'm so very sorry, Angela." Esme said. "If we had known we would have been there to help." I could see the guilt in her eyes; I could tell that she really wished that they had been there to help.

I turned and looked at Esme. "The only one to blame for all of this is Victoria. Once they got there, Sam and the other four were able to take care of the remaining newborns."

"What about Victoria?" Edward asked.

"Victoria went to the rez where Jacob stayed behind with the other four."

"Did they destroy her?" Rosalie asked.

"Yes, they were able to destroy her. Afterwards when Bella heard what happened to our friends she was devastated; she blamed herself for everything. If she hadn't had Renesmee and Masen inspiring her to survive that disease I know for a fact she would have given up. But regardless of the fact that she was sick and in pain she made sure she was there for me during Ben's funeral. It was there at Ben's funeral that Jacob imprinted on me."

I knew that now was the chance to get them to truly understand imprinting, maybe it would help out later on when they found out about Nessie. "Though he imprinted he never once pushed me into a relationship. The sole purpose of an imprint means that the wolf becomes whatever the other person needs. That's just what he did, he became my best friend, my rock and would have been more than happy to keep our friendship just like it was, but eventually last year my feeling towards him started to turn into something more."

"That is very nice," Esme said while putting her arm around my shoulders to comfort me. "I'm glad he was there for you."

"Yeah, actually all three of us were there for each other. We helped take care of Bella and the babies during her chemo but she always seemed to be there for us as well. She was always concerned that we find happiness." I cringed at the memories of how sick Bella was. "Bella had a difficult time with the chemo, but she faced it with such courage, strength and sheer determination. She really is the strongest person I have ever met," I giggled. "In other words Bella is the most stubborn person, or creature on the planet; Victoria had nothing on her."

Edward grinned at that. "Yes, I would have to agree with you there. Bella is most definitely one of a kind."

Alice smirked when she looked at me. "Actually I think she has just the right amount of stubbornness in her to make her perfect for Edward."

Both Jasper and Emmett called out. "That's for sure."

Esme smiled, "Well it's probably a good thing that Bella is Edward's true mate. Their stubbornness alone proves that they are perfect for each other." Giving her own dazzling smile to her husband, "Just think of it, Carlisle, Edward is a father, which in a sense makes us grandparents."

I could see her eyes glistening with tears. "Esme that is exactly what you are to them. Bella tells them stories about you all every single day; she wants them to know all about you. In fact Bella has even created her own special photo album so that they know exactly what you all look like in case they ever saw you."

Edward seemed clearly confused by what I just said. "How on earth could she have pictures of all of us? Before I left I made sure all pictures and gifts that we had given her were hidden from her."

Esme was now mad. "How dare you, Edward Anthony Masen Cullen! What gives you the right to take things away from Bella?"

"In the woods I told her I would make it as if I never existed. I was hoping that she would forget about all of us. I figured that was a real possibility since her human memories are just a sieve." Edward explained quickly.

"You know what, Edward, right now you have proven to me just how much of a complete and utter idiot you are," I stated angrily. How on earth he could have so little faith in Bella's feelings? Doesn't he know her at all? "I don't think you ever had any concept of how truly committed Bella was in her love for you. You never grasped that even your leaving would not stop this all encompassing love she has always had for you. Don't you realize that there are humans all over the world who when they lose the love of their life they never move on from that relationship?"

I was seething now, I was so mad at him. I looked at Rosalie. "Rosalie, could you do me a favor if I asked?"

"I guess, but it would depend on what that favor would be," Rosalie answered me carefully.

"Would you please hit Edward on the back of his head as hard as you can—" Before I could even go on with my reasoning Rosalie got a huge smirk on her face and did just as I asked. In fact Jasper followed her lead and did the same thing to Edward.

It made me feel temporarily better. "Thank you Rosalie and you too Jasper."

Jasper smirked. "You're very welcome, Angela, don't hesitate in asking. Edward deserves far worse in my opinion. All Edward ever had to do was ask me what Bella's feelings were, and I could have shown him. Bella is one of a kind, she is the only human I have ever met with the ability to feel emotions just as strongly as any vampire. I can't imagine the pain this idiot put her through when he left her." Jasper looked angrily into Edward's pained face and went on, "Remember how your feelings pretty much ate you alive, how painful it was to know that you weren't with Bella anymore? Bella probably felt even worse than that considering the fact that you told her you didn't want her anymore. How would you feel if she ever told you that?"

Edward fell to the ground with a look of pure self hatred on his face. "How will she ever forgive me?"

"Quite easily, Edward, this is Bella. She loves you more then her own life and all she has ever wanted since the day you left her was to be reunited again. She wants nothing more than to be the family you guys should have always been." I only hoped that I could help this dream come true for Bella.

"What type of photo album did she make, if she didn't have the pictures that Eddie over there stole from her?" Emmett asked.

"Well if you don't mind I would like to wait a little bit on explaining the photo album." Looking at Edward I said, "Just so you know, last year Bella found the pictures and birthday gifts that you hid from her when you left."

"She did?" he asked.

"Yes. She did."

"Angela, do you mind if I ask you a few questions?" Carlisle asked.

"Not at all, Carlisle, I'm sure there are a lot of questions you all have."

"First off I have a question regarding the children. From what it sounds like Bella had a fairly human pregnancy. Do the children show any signs of being half-vampire?" He seemed enthralled with the possibilities.

"You are quite correct that Bella's pregnancy showed all signs of being a normal human pregnancy. After I knew the truth about you all I asked Bella about that. She gave me a theory about that." When I saw his eyes grow eager in excitement I decided to continue. "Bella believes that if the babies had shown signs at that time of being half-vampire she would not have been able to survive. Can you imagine a mere human girl being pregnant with twins who have the strength of a vampire? She could have been killed by the slightest movement that they made." Everyone shuddered at that.

"Bella believes that though they appear more human now, that once they are full grown things will change. Much like the wolves, when they were full grown and the wolf gene activated, the same thing may occur with Renesmee and Masen." I grinned wondering if I should dangle a bit of a carrot in front of them. I decided I wanted to have a little bit of fun at Edward's expense. He did deserve it after all. "However you might be interested to know that from a vampire's standpoint they already show signs of having talents."

Alice bounced up and down, clearly excited. "What kind of talents?"

"Renesmee has the ability to project her thoughts onto somebody just by touching their skin." Looking at a still distraught Edward, I grinned, "You might be interested to know, Edward, that Renesmee can even get into Bella's AM frequency."

Edward gave me a grin. "Really? She can project her thoughts into Bella's mind?" When I nodded he asked, "What about Masen?"

"Well I don't know if I should say." Looking at the hurt look on Edward's face made me laugh, and I turned my attention to Alice. "I think Edward may be very jealous of his little boy if he knows what Masen is capable of doing."

Alice gave me an evil grin. "Oh? I think I like the sound of that. This ought to be good."

"Oh, it most definitely is," I said laughing.

Edward was getting a bit impatient. "Please tell me?"

"Well much like Nessie's talent, Masen has to touch the person for his ability to work." Quite honestly I was stalling, I didn't know why, but I was having fun watching him squirm.

"Please Angela, I'm dying over here," Edward said in an overdramatic tone.

"Really, Edward? Carlisle, can a vampire die from anticipation? Bella never told me this before." I grinned at Carlisle.

"No," Carlisle chuckled. "Though it could be true that the vampire might drive the rest of us so insane that we may contemplate finishing the fool off for his own good, a vampire cannot die from anticipation alone."

Alice being eager to find out Masen's ability, decided to ask. "What can Masen do, Angela?"

"Well when Masen touches you he can read your thoughts." I looked at Edward with an evil grin, before continuing, "and that includes Bella's thoughts."

Edward gasped. "Really? He can read Bella's thoughts?" When I nodded, he broke out into a huge grin. "Maybe I can read Masen's thoughts?" Then he frowned. "That is unless he's like his mother and his thoughts are private to me as well."

"The only way to know that for sure is to find out for yourself!" I simply stated, hoping that he would see it as a dare.

After waiting a minute I turned back to Carlisle. "Did you have any other questions, Carlisle?"

"I'm wondering about Bella's health. Is she in recovery? Did the chemo work?" At Carlisle's questions everybody's faces became more anxious looking.

"Bella underwent chemo; it was quite awful. It made her so sick. I honestly don't understand how a medicine so dangerous can actually do any good. It's no wonder that some people don't survive the effects of the chemo. For a while none of us believed that Bella would be able to survive." I shuddered at the memory. "There were many times she would be so sick that she would have to be rushed to the hospital due to her fever and the extreme dehydration she would suffer. There were a couple of times I thought she wouldn't make it."

"Just before her last treatment, we started to notice a physical difference in her. She had more color than she had had in months. She didn't even get sick with her last round of chemo. It was so odd; we thought for sure Bella would end up having the same exact reaction she always had after her treatments, but she didn't. She didn't get sick at all. In fact the next time she went in for her tests, there was no trace of the cancer anywhere in her body. She hasn't been sick a single day since." I remembered how all of us had considered this a true miracle.

Alice looked at me with sad eyes. "I'm assuming she lost her hair during her treatments?"

I nodded. "Yes she did, though her hair is just past her shoulders now."

Esme, who had, looked quite relieved since being informed about Bella's health, asked a question. "Do Bella and the children live with Charlie?"

I grinned. "No. Though Bella did buy Charlie's house from him when he got married to Sue Clearwater and moved onto the res."

"Charlie got married?" Esme smiled while Alice squealed with excitement. After I confirmed the answer she asked another question, "How could Bella afford a house?"

I grinned. "Oh, I guess you could say our dear Bella is quite talented and is in no way hurting financially."

"Talented in what way?" Alice asked.

"Well she mainly lives off of her hobby but she also teaches a class twice a week."

Before I could go on Alice perked up. "Oh, I bet she teaches something having to do with literature. I can totally see Bella teaching about her love of books."

"Sorry, Alice, but you're not even close." When she gave me a disgruntled look for guessing wrong I told them. "Actually twice a week she teaches Bikram Yoga."

Laughter is what I heard coming from a majority of the Cullen family. I started to get aggravated by their reaction until I realized that the last time they had seen Bella she had still been her former clumsy self. Deciding I would give them all a break, I let it pass, for now.

"I'm being serious. Bella started doing yoga as soon as she found out she was pregnant. She was determined to work on her balance problems, and in fact I think it helped her during her recovery as well."

"You're actually being serious? My clumsy little sister is no more?" Emmett asked, almost sounding sad at the idea.

"Yes, I'm very serious. With yoga she slowly started gaining confidence that she never had before. Since her health has improved, Bella has also started running, pilates, kick boxing, weight training and has even learned self-defense. She figured that since she is the mother of half-vampires in addition to being a danger magnet it would be a good idea to be as strong as possible."

"So you're saying that Bella can kick some ass?" Emmett asked.

"Well when it comes to an opponent like a werewolf or vampire, no she wouldn't hold up in a fight. However, bring in a human and I can guarantee Bella would be able to kick some major ass."

"Cool!" Emmett grinned.

Edward seemed to be contemplating something for a moment but then decided to ask another question. "You said Bella earned the majority of her money from her hobby. What is her hobby?"

"Well it's a hobby she didn't pick up until after she found out she was pregnant. It was something she started doing as a way try to lessen the nightmares she was having on a nightly basis. She didn't even think much of it at first, but she was clearly talented and slowly grew to love it."

"Did it help?" Esme asked.

"It kind of helped. She still has the nightmare on a nightly basis, but she hardly ever wakes up screaming anymore."

I sighed at Edward's impatient face. "You want to know what her hobby is, Edward? I know what you can look at to show you exactly what her hobby is." I gave what I would consider an evil grin at the camera. "Why don't you turn around, Edward, and tell me what you see."

They all looked very confused. I could hear all three of them say, "Huh?"

It was Esme, who seemed to understand, she grabbed my hand in her excitement. "Are you saying what I think you're saying?"

"If you're thinking what I'm trying to say, then yes." I knew I was being confusing, but I couldn't help it; I was having fun at the moment.

"Huh?" all of the rest of the Cullen family said.

Esme was in awe. "I can't believe it." I could see tears in her eyes. "Is that really them?" She understood now that the little boy and girl with their backs to us on the large hanging behind Edward, Rosalie and Jasper were Masen and Renesmee holding hands, while walking along the beach at La Push.

Noticing that the entire family was still confused and also starting to get irritated, I said, "Edward, what does the signature say on the bottom of that painting."

Edward looked at the painting and seemed to freeze for a minute as he read the name. Finally he said the name very slowly, "Ella Masen."

Emmett jumped up. "Wait a minute—are you telling us that Bella is a painter? That she goes by the name Ella Masen?"

"Yes, she is a very talented artist." I looked over at Esme. "Bella will be so happy to know that you were the one who purchased _Enduring Love_. That painting was all of our favorites, we were all sad to see it go. On Renesmee and Masen's second birthday we had all gone down to First Beach. We spent the entire day out there, having an absolute blast. Towards the end of the day, Bella took them down one last time to walk along the beach. Both Renesmee and Masen took each other's hand and just started walking. When the sun started to set Bella was caught up in the beauty of her children, the sunset and the beach and she pulled out her camera and started taking a bunch of pictures." It had been a beautiful night; everyone could see that Bella had been caught up in a surge of inspiration when she started taking so many pictures.

"Later that night, after she got the children in bed, she went into her little studio and started this painting. She was up all night working on it; she said something inside her was screaming to get it done immediately, that it was a matter of great importance."

Esme's cold hands were still holding onto mine for dear life. "It's like fate was working with all its might to bring us this link to them, and we didn't even realize it. There was something inside me urging me to go to Seattle early last June. When I was there I felt compelled to go into this art gallery I had never been to before. There were so many beautiful paintings headlining this local artist, Ella Masen. As soon as I saw that painting I knew I had to have it." She looked at me. "The representative at the gallery said that it was a good thing that I had shown up on that day. Apparently that particular painting had just arrived that morning."

"You have to understand something," I said quietly, "Bella had never allowed a painting that included her children to be put up for sale before. She is very private, especially when it concerns them, but she said that something just told her that it was essential for this one to be let go. She got a call that night from the gallery owner letting her know that the painting had sold." It truly was a small world.

"I was so drawn to this painting, the scenery and those beautiful children gave me such a feeling of hope when I saw it. But in all honesty it was the young man off to the side that really pushed me into buying it," Esme confessed. "It looked so much like Edward that I just couldn't resist."

"Yes, she wanted Edward to be a part of this painting. She mentioned that when she was taking the pictures the one thing that was missing was Edward. There was such a feeling of love and calm in the air she said that if she concentrated really hard it was almost like she could also hear you playing her lullaby to her." The look on Edward's face said it all. You could see the hope, the love and the pain he was feeling at this very moment. I really hoped that he didn't blow it; Bella deserved to be happy again.

"Would you all like to see the digital pictures that I have on my computer?" Everyone nodded their heads instead of speaking, so I walked over to the table so that I could get everything ready. Once I was done, I turned on the slideshow and watched the various Cullen reactions. I could tell instantly that they were captivated by the pictures.

The pictures started with photos of Bella while she was pregnant and slowly went into different pictures that had been taken since the twins were born. I could see the sadness in their eyes, when they saw what they had missed, but the pictures of Bella with a scarf on her head to cover up the fact that she didn't have hair anymore in addition to the dark circles under her sad looking eyes got audible sobs from Esme, Alice and somebody I could only guess was Edward coming over the TV. When the pictures finally finished I removed my external hard drive from their laptop and made my way back over to the couch.

Rosalie surprised me the most; she looked visibly affected by all of this. What she said next surprised me even more. "You have two very beautiful children, Edward. Now that you know about them, I hope you realize the gift that you have been given and cherish them always." I was beginning to wonder how much of Rosalie's cold persona was a result of wanting things she would never have.

"You're right, Rosalie." Edward smiled. "I have been given the best possible gift anybody could ever have. I hope I can prove to all three of them that I love them and that I never want to let them go again."

"Does that mean you have finally come to your senses?" I asked Edward.

He only took a moment before answering me. "Yes, I would have to say that I have finally come to my senses. I just hope I can convince them that I love them." he said soberly. He probably knew that he would have a bit of an uphill battle to guarantee his return into Bella's life. It would be worth it in the end though. I just knew it.

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Thank you so much for reading!

I hope you will continue to read as I update:)


	3. Chapter 3

I would like to thank Kimmydonn and Pastiche .Lethe**_,_** the two betas who help me with this chapter. You have no idea how much I appreciate your help.

Disclaimer: All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. The original characters and plot are the property of the author. The author is in no way associated with the owners, creators, or producers of any media franchise. No copyright infringement is intended.

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**Chapter 3**

Having heard Edward's last words, I was really starting to feel hopeful. I really felt that it would only be a matter of time before Bella, Renesmee and Masen were reunited with the rest of their family. I had to believe it, though I could only imagine what was going through Edward's mind right now. To think that in just this conversation, his entire world had changed. In just the last little bit he found out that he was a father of twins. Something that, due to his reaction, was clearly something he never even dreamed was possible. Though when you think about it, how could I blame him for that; it really did seem farfetched if you looked at it from his perspective. Then to add to that shock, he had to hear about the love of his life almost dying due to both a terminal illness and the plans of a sadistic vampire.

I wanted to give them time to take this all in, but I also wanted to answer any other questions they may have. I could only imagine that they had hundreds. "Do any of you have any more questions pertaining to what I've told you all so far?"

"Did Bella receive all of her cancer treatments in Washington?" Carlisle asked, probably wanting some more background information about Bella's illness. Though I could see that he was probably wondering why we would have come all of this way to Minnesota for a follow-up appointment.

"Yes, all of Bella's treatments took place at the hospital in Forks."

"But I'm assuming that Bella had to come here for medical reasons, right?" Alice asked, sounding a bit confused and worried at the same time. "Why couldn't it have been taken care of back in Forks?"

"The doctor Bella was seeing ended up accepting a position at the Mayo Clinic, and she was quite adamant about staying under her care. Bella made special arrangements to continue her care at the Mayo for all of her follow-up appointments." Though I've been told it's not too uncommon for a patient to follow a doctor when something like this occurs, it was Bella's reaction that was most puzzling to me. I knew that Bella still kept some things private, and this was one of those things that she continued to keep us in the dark about. Though I understood her need for some privacy, it just tended to make me nervous about her wellbeing. "Somehow Dr. Lawson is the only other doctor other than you, Carlisle, that Bella has ever been able to truly trust. She has refused to even think of seeing somebody else."

"Dr. Melinda Lawson?" Carlisle asked me. When I nodded he smiled. "I've never met her personally but everything I have heard about her is that she is a very good doctor. I can understand why Bella would feel the way that she does. I'm just glad she found a doctor she trusts so much."

"How has Bella been feeling?" Esme asked, with a hint of motherly worry that reminded me of my own mother.

"She feels great; she hasn't had a single illness since before her last chemo treatment."

"Angela?"

"Yes Jasper?" I asked.

"I know you may think that I'm being selfish to ask this question, but do you know if Bella has ever been able to forgive me for what I did the night of her birthday?" he asked me in a voice that sounded pained.

"What are you talking about Jasper? Why on earth would she need to forgive you?"

Jasper seemed a bit started by my questions. "I thought you knew the events of her eighteenth birthday? I tried to attack her when all she did wrong was accidentally give herself a paper cut. I'm a monster, and she has every right in the world to hate me for what I did."

I looked at Alice and rolled my eyes. I swear Bella fell in with the right crowd; they all had the habit of blaming themselves for something that was not their fault. "Is he being serious?" Alice just shrugged her shoulders at me. "You know what? Why on earth would you all leave Bella when she is exactly like you guys is beyond me. She fits in so well with you all; it's just ridiculous. Every single one of you, including Bella, has this uncanny ability to blame your selves for things that are completely out of your control." When I noticed Jasper getting ready to say something to me I just looked at him. "Jasper, you didn't do anything wrong."

"What do you mean, I did nothing wrong? I tried to attack her," he said in a very exasperated tone. He was clearly still beating himself up for what had happened that night.

"And you honestly think that Bella would blame you for something like that? It was out of your control, how else were you supposed to react?"

Jasper hissed at me. "Well, for one, I could have been more like the other members in my family and have found enough self-control to stop myself."

"Wait a minute." It was all starting to make sense to me, "Are you telling me that Bella realized what the issue actually was that day, when the rest of you didn't?" I knew my voice must have sounded quite rude and I scolded myself for it. "I'm sorry, I don't mean to sound rude, but I would have thought that if Bella could put two and two together, you know with her being human and all the rest of you with your extreme intelligence, you would have realized the truth." But maybe that was the problem. Maybe the answer was too obvious. Maybe it took someone like Bella, a person who was so extraordinarily perceptive, to figure out most things that others would never have even dreamt of as a possibility.

"What was obvious to Bella regarding that night?" Carlisle asked.

"Can I ask you all to remember back to that moment? The moment Bella accidentally gave herself a paper cut while opening the gift. What was your first reaction to what you smelled?" I really hoped that they all would be completely honest with me.

Esme was the first to answer. "I hate to admit this but I was mortified with myself that night. In that instant I felt an uncontrollable urge, a strong desire for Bella's blood. I mean I love Bella like she is my own daughter, but I felt this deep seeded need that I had to have some for myself. It took everything that is within me to resist." I could see the guilt on Esme's face when she confessed this.

"Was it pretty much like this for the rest of you as well?" I asked the rest of them. All but Carlisle nodded their head at me. "I'm sure Carlisle is the only one trained enough to not even be phased by the smell of human blood, am I right?" Again everyone nodded.

I looked at Edward. "Was Bella correct when she told me that her blood called to you one-hundred times stronger than any other blood you have come across in your life?" When he nodded, I looked at all of them. "Okay. So imagine what that was like for Jasper. Not only did Jasper have to deal with his own feelings of need, but he also had to deal with the feelings coming off of Esme, Alice, Emmett and Rosalie in addition to the even stronger feelings coming off Edward in that split second. If you ask me, I think Jasper's reaction was unavoidable. I don't think there is a vampire on this planet, and I'm including Carlisle in that group, who would be able to withstand a temptation like that." I gave one more look towards Jasper's face on the TV. "Jasper, Bella never has, and she never will, blame you for the events of that night. So when you see her again please do me a favor and don't piss her off by bringing it up. It's only going to make her feel guilty, which will in response make you all feel guilty that she feels guilty." I sighed, "Like I said before, Bella is just like all of you, so in the end no one will ever get over the guilt. If you could finally find it within you to forgive yourself, it would do us all a world of good. Okay? Do you think you can do that?"

Jasper was shocked and then gave me a small smile. "I never thought of it that way before; I always considered my weakness for blood to be one of my biggest flaws."

Carlisle smiled. "What Bella came up with makes perfect sense. Bella really is a truly extraordinary person."

I grinned. "I would have to agree with you on that." I looked over to Jasper. "So, have we cleared that whole guilt issue up yet? Are you done feeling guilty for something you have no reason to feel guilty over?"

Alice grinned at me. "Yes, I think we most definitely have cleared that up finally."

While I waited to see if anyone else had any questions, my cell phone began to ring. When I checked to see who it was, I wasn't overly surprised to see Jacob's name on the caller id. "Do you mind if I take this really quick; it's Jacob?"

Carlisle answered, "We don't mind at all."

I smiled at Carlisle, hoping that he knew I was silently giving my thanks to him for this, and answered my phone. "Hi Jake."

"Hi." Something in his tone made me a bit wary; with just that one word I could hear the stress in his voice which only got worse with his next question. "Are you still with the Cullen family?"

"Yes I am; what's wrong, Jake? Did you pick up another trail?" His stressed out tone was starting to get me anxious.

"Have you had a chance to ask them about Forks yet?" he asked.

"No, I'm sorry Jake, I hadn't gotten to that question yet. Did you want me to ask them right now?" I could guess that the people in this room with me could probably hear every word Jake said, but I wasn't sure if the others on the computer would be able to hear.

"Actually would you mind putting me on speaker phone so that I can talk to them?"

I looked over at Carlisle in time for him to point at the conference style phone they had in their room. "Angela, why don't you call Jacob back using this phone. Once we get him on the line, we can conference in the rest of the family. That may make things easier."

"Did you hear that, Jake?"

"Yeah, that sounds fine. I'll wait for your call." With that Jacob hung up.

"Thank you for being accommodating, Carlisle." I walked over to the conference style speaker phone and started to dial Jacob's number. Once we got all parties affected on the phone, I gave Jacob the go ahead.

"Sorry to interrupt, but I need to ask you all a couple of questions, if you don't mind." Jake said, sounding very formal.

Carlisle spoke for his family, "You're not interrupting, Jacob. How may we help you?"

"I know you've gotten a lot tossed at you tonight. A lot has happened over the last three years. I also know may need some time, but I need to know something first. My pack needs to know how to proceed." I could tell he was acting as spokesperson for the pack right now. He didn't normally talk this formal.

"Ask us anything you need to, Jacob." Carlisle spoke as calmly as he could. I think it was partly to keep the rest of his family's emotions in check, but I couldn't be sure.

Jacob took a deep breath, probably trying to keep an easy tone to his voice, but he couldn't fool me. I could hear the stress in his voice, and it was making me worry. "I need to ask you whether or not any of your family have been in the area recently?"

Even though Carlisle probably already knew the answer to that question, he still looked to each of his family members for confirmation before answering. "No, I'm sorry Jacob; none of our family has been back. The closest any of us have come is Seattle, and that was last spring."

"Crap!" Jacob said in a frustrated sigh, and I could feel tension make its way back into the room. "Do you know if any of your acquaintances may have been in the area for one reason or another? Bella mentioned once that you have extended family living in Alaska. Could any of them have come down for some reason?"

"Not that I am aware of, but I can certainly call them and ask if you would like," Carlisle responded.

"That would be great," Jacob said in a disappointed tone.

Esme spoke at this point and I could hear concern in her voice. "If it's not one of our family members, do you and your pack have any ideas about who this may be?"

"Honestly, we're not sure." He seemed to pause for a moment, probably trying to figure out how much he should tell the Cullens. Eventually he must have come up with a decision because he went on. "I hope you don't mind, but after you left, when we discovered the presence of those nomads Victoria and Laurent in the area, we started patrolling the entire town. That means going onto your territory as well. We had no intention of breaking the treaty, but we wanted to keep as many people safe as possible."

Carlisle stopped him. "That is completely understandable, Jacob. We won't begrudge you for doing what is best for everyone in the area. We understand that there was a threat and we weren't there to help patrol for you. You have my permission to patrol on our side of the treaty line whenever you need to in our absence. Though when we are in the area we may need to work out a schedule so that our family isn't accidentally attacked."

"Thank you for your understanding." Jacob said. "We first picked up the scent shortly after Angela, Bella and the children left. We are concerned because the scent was within the general vicinity of Bella's home. Given the events in the past, we always monitor her home very closely. With this latest scent being so close, we have decided to stay on high alert until we find out what is going on.

"I'm assuming that you have picked up another fresh trail then?" Carlisle asked.

"Unfortunately, yes. Whenever Seth and I begin a new patrol we always start out at the home of our imprint and reconnect from there, but since Angela has basically been living with Bella the last couple of months we both started out there." I cringed at Jacob's explanation, knowing how the rest of the Cullens were going to misconstrue what Jacob just said. I didn't have to wait more than a second to see it all play out.

"Wait a minute," Edward said in a strained voice. When I looked over at the TV, I could see panic on his face. "Why on earth would both you and Seth be at Bella's house to start off with your patrol? Are you saying that Seth imprinted on Bella?" I could see the panic in his eyes at the mention of imprinting. I really couldn't see his reaction getting any better when he found out who Seth had imprinted on.

Jacob stumbled over his words. "Huh? What? Ang, didn't you tell them everything yet?"

I sighed, my own frustration peaking, the current situation. "No Jake, I didn't get into Seth's imprinting yet." Even though I could feel the curious stares from all of the Cullens slowly burning into me, my focus was only on Edward. "I'm sorry, Edward, but I didn't want to tell you this part yet. I had hoped to give you a little bit more time getting used to the idea of having a family."

"What is it Angela? Please just tell me. I'm starting to get very nervous over here," Edward practically begged.

"Okay," I said, while I tried to figure out the best way to begin. I really hoped that I explained this calmly enough. If I didn't do this correctly, I could very easily set off a ticking time bomb. "Let me start with this: Do you remember when I mentioned that when a wolf imprints on their true soul-mate, the wolf becomes whatever the other person needs?" When Edward nodded again, I gained the courage to continue. "The only time that relationship would ever change is if the object of that imprint wants it to change. If the object of that imprint falls in love with them then, and only then, would the wolf's feelings truly become more than just a protector, friend or brother."

"Okay, so what kind of relationship does Bella have with Seth?" Edward asked, obviously coming to the wrong conclusion.

"To Bella, Seth will only ever be her loveable step-brother. It's Renesmee that Seth imprinted on." I could feel the tension in the room grow by leaps and bounds within this revelation. When I saw Edward's jaw clench, showing signs of his anger, I quickly said, "Seth only wants Nessie to be a happy, loved and a carefree little girl. He loves her like an uncle right now, nothing even remotely inappropriate. Only if Renesmee's feelings change when she is full-grown will Seth's feelings change to a more romantic love. Right now that is the furthest thing from his mind." I decided to add another little tidbit. "Plus, you don't honestly think that Bella would allow Seth anywhere near Nessie if she thought things were in any way inappropriate do you?"

It took him a couple minutes to calm down enough to speak, but I could tell the worst of his anger was either gone or hidden for the moment. "No. I guess not. It just feels weird to know that the two year-old little girl I just found out about already has a soul-mate." He shook his head. "It's going to take a little bit of time to get use to this."

Jacob took that moment to speak again. "Edward, you have my word that there is nothing inappropriate in any way about Seth's relationship with Nessie." Pausing for only a second, Jacob continued, "I would know it if they were."

"How would you know?" Alice asked.

"When we are in our wolf form, we share thoughts with the rest of the pack. That's how we are able to communicate with each other, but the downside of it is that all of your thoughts and feelings are on display with the rest of them. It can be quite bothersome, and for our imprints, very embarrassing."

I nodded and grumbled, "Tell me about it." I could feel my cheeks grow warm with a fresh wave of embarrassment. Some of his pack members loved to give me a hard time about what they had seen.

Emmett found that little fact funny because he started laughing – that was until Jacob changed subjects. "I'm assuming Angela told you all about Bella's cancer?"

Edward answered in a pained voice, "Yes."

"Well, when the twins were only two months old, after I imprinted on Angela, Bella named Angela and I their godparents. She made us promise that if anything happened to her that we would raise Masen and Nessie for her. Bella also made us promise that we would continue our search for you and the rest of the Cullen family so that you would have the ability to be a part of their lives." When Edward looked at me, I nodded my agreement to what Jake was saying. "I will tell you that I love those two children as if they were my own. If I heard even one inappropriate thought come from Seth in regards to Nessie I would very happily strangle him."

After a couple minutes of silence, Jacob said, "I should tell you that the entire pack, minus Seth's stubborn older sister Leah, are absolutely, positively in love with your children. They just have this ability to draw everyone to them. We would all gladly sacrifice our own lives to protect Masen and Renesmee."

Alice looked over at me and asked, "Why does Leah feel differently?"

Not wanting to answer this question, I was very glad when Jacob answered for me. "Leah's story is very complicated. Regardless of all the good she hears about your family, she will always blame you for what has happened to her."

"What happened to her?" Alice asked again, this time sounding very impatient.

"When you all came back to Forks, it triggered the wolf gene, but it wasn't until around the time that Bella moved here that Sam Uley phased into a wolf for the first time. Prior to Sam phasing, he and Leah had been madly in love with each other; everyone believed that they would be together for the rest of their lives. Unfortunately Leah's cousin, Emily, came to visit her. When Sam saw Emily, he imprinted on her, instantly removing all romantic love he ever had for Leah. Leah was devastated. Then even after you left, the remaining threat of vampires in the area caused Leah to be the first ever girl to phase into a wolf. So not only has she lost the love of her life, she is now part of the pack, and anytime she is in wolf form the same time as Sam she hears all of his thoughts of love about Emily."

"Oh, that poor girl," Esme said in such a gentle voice. "It's no wonder that she dislikes us so much. I'm assuming that this dislike also passes on to Bella and the children?"

"Yes," was all that Jacob could say. He had tried for three years now to change Leah's feelings on this matter, but we had accepted that that day would never come.

"Jake, honey, what were you saying earlier before we got sidetracked with the imprinting stories?" I wanted to get us all back on track so we could figure out what is going on in Forks. I really hoped this was just a nomad vampire in the area, and that they would be moving on for good really quick. I didn't want to hear about another threat coming after Bella and the kids. They didn't deserve this.

"Well, like I was saying earlier, when Seth and I started our patrol tonight, we first headed straight to Bella's house and immediately noticed a fresh trail. We followed the trail right to the living room window outside her home." I could hear Edward snarl in anger at this. "We checked inside but found no trace of vampire in the house. But we immediately informed Sam about what we found. When he found out that Angela had made contact with your family, he asked me to call and speak to you about this, to find out if you knew who it may be. As soon as I'm done here, Seth and I are heading back out to follow the rest of the trail."

Carlisle stood up and took his cell phone out of his pocket. "I will go into the other room real quick and try to contact Tanya and her family. See if they have been in the area recently, or if they know of anybody else who may have come around. I will be right back." He then left and walked into the bedroom. He was probably trying to keep Edward from over-hearing too much at this point. I could already see he was practically shaking with anxiety over this latest development.

I saw Jasper put his hand on Edward's shoulder, probably in hopes of calming him down. It seemed to help because finally Edward was calm enough to speak again. "Jacob?"

"Yes, Edward," Jacob said quietly. I was pretty proud of Jacob for not losing his cool so far. He thought of Bella like a sister, and he didn't like the fact the Bella was so hurt by Edward abandoning her. If he could, he would act like most brothers and beat the living tar out of Edward, but that wouldn't exactly be possible considering what Edward was.

"If you don't mind, I would like to take this time to thank you and the rest of the pack for your willingness to protect Bella and my children over the last few years. I know it couldn't have been an easy decision knowing that Bella was pregnant with my children, but I want you to know I will forever be indebted to you for what you did. If you ever need anything, I hope you won't hesitate in asking."

Being Jacob, his only response was. "Sure, sure."

Carlisle walked back out to the living area and started to speak. "I just got off the phone with Tanya and according to her, no one in their family has ventured anywhere near Washington since the beginning of summer. Even then, they were there for a couple of hours before they headed back home."

"Thank you for checking. I guess we will continue to have around the clock patrols until we find out something more," Jake answered in a determined voice. "Do you mind if I ask you a question?" I could tell from his tone that he was shifting into protective best friend mode, and he wanted to ask some questions about Bella.

"Of course you can, Jacob," Esme said sweetly.

"Now that you all know about Bella, the children and everything else that has happened since you abandoned her, are you going to make it right? What I mean is, are you going to come back into her life again and stay? Because if not, I would suggest that you all just stay away from her while she is in Minnesota. I don't know if I can handle seeing her go through all of that pain again if you show up only to leave her behind. It almost ruined her last time; actually it probably would have if she hadn't had the pregnancy and children to worry about." His voice was taking on an angry edge, probably brought on by the memory of Bella during that time. I couldn't bear the thought that she could be brought down to that deep depression again, but I really didn't think they would do that again. It appeared that they were all greatly affected by their leaving Bella. I really hoped it wasn't wishful thinking on my part, but it appeared that they were as affected as Bella was over the last three years.

Edward's voice practically croaked when he answered, "Jacob, you have no idea how much I regret my actions on that awful day. I was conceited enough to think that our leaving would protect her. I thought that she would be able to move on after time. According to Angela is something Bella is incapable of doing." Edward only took a break for a moment before continuing, "If Bella can in any way find it in her to forgive me for my atrocities against her and our children, I want nothing more than to take care of all of them for the rest of time."

Alice seemed surprised. "Edward, are you saying that if Bella still wants you to, that you would actually change her?"

Before Edward could even answer Alice's question, Jacob blurted, "Uh, that's not exactly necessary."

They all seemed confused by Jacob's response; it was Carlisle that inquired about it. "What do you mean, it's not exactly necessary?"

"Well, I guess you could say that Bella is a very resourceful person. She has a backup plan on how to be changed into a vampire if you all don't show up in her life again."

I could tell Jacob was a bit uncomfortable with discussing this part, so when it was taking him a while to explain further, I decided that I would explain it for him. "Jake, it is okay, I'll explain this part. You probably need to get back to your patrols. Can you please call me back when you're done so that I know you're still safe?" I was always nervous when he was on patrol; it was probably much like anyone who was in love with a Police Officer or some other job that could put the person in danger. At least Jake had the ability to heal quickly from most things that is.

"Are you sure, Ang?"

"Yes, I'm positive. Please be careful."

"I will. Love ya, Ang."

"I love you too, bye."

"Bye."

When I got off the phone, I turned to the Cullen family. I could tell that I was starting to get extremely tired, but I really wanted to finish this, so I started to explain. "There were a few things that I left out when talking about the theory Bella had in regards to the children's vampire side coming out."

"What may that be?" Carlisle questioned.

"Well, Bella really did come up with that theory on her own she's just gotten more information since then. It was actually around the end of her chemo treatments that she says that she met a vampire along with her half-vampire children."

Rosalie looked incredulous. "You mean there's others just like them?"

"I'm assuming that the mother had been human when she became pregnant with her children?" Carlisle asked.

"Yes."

"When did she get changed into a vampire?"

"Around the time that her son turned eighteen."

"Do you mean that her son was the one who changed her?" Edward asked, amazed.

"Yes. It appears that when the vampire gene activates, they go through some form of transformation." It seemed that when I said transformation everyone got a worried look on their face. "Though physically they retain their human coloring in addition to their need for sleep, it's the rest of them that changes to be more like a vampires."

"In what way does this change happen? Do they go through a normal vampire transformation?" Carlisle asked me, but when I looked at him confused, he elaborated. "Do they go through the same burning process other vampires go through during their transformation?"

"Oh, that. No. It's more like a normal growth spurt for a child; a transition that happens while they sleep." I could see the relief in their eyes at the thought of knowing that they, the children, didn't have to go through the excruciating pain that others have gone through. "Bella was told that when the vampire gene takes effect, both Renesmee and Masen will become stronger. Their senses will become more like yours, and they will be able to live off blood if they so chose."

"So that means that their teeth will become more like ours?" Edward asked carefully.

"Yes, that is the one of the only physical changes that really takes place. According to Bella, their physical bodies will also become more durable but not quite as indestructible as yours."

"Then I'm assuming from all that you have just explained that they will both become venomous?" Carlisle inquired.

"According to that woman, only Masen will become venomous as only males have this trait."

"Which is how he was able to change his mother?" Alice asked me, which I confirmed with a slight nod. "Do we know for a fact that this is how all of the half-vampires react? Couldn't it have only been those two that reacted that way?"

"I would say yes, if that vampire had not been able to confirm that they had found that to be true due to the others just like them they had met during their lives. Apparently there is a vampire in South America that impregnates the local woman in hopes of creating a master race. It appears that all of the females are non-venomous while the sole male is. Bella was also told that this vampire is quite angry that his son does not want to join him in his little experiment, so he will keep trying until he is able to have another son to follow in his footsteps."

"Amazing, yet appalling all at the same time," was all Carlisle could say.

"That's for sure," Alice said in a huff. Then she looked at me and noticed me yawning. "Oh Angela, I'm so sorry, we are keeping you from being able to get any sleep."

I looked at my watch and realized I had been here for over four hours, much later then I had originally planned. "That's okay, I figured that if I could help in any way to bring you all back into Bella's life, a night without sleep would be worth it. I just hope I'm coherent enough to be able to work on Bella's birthday gift with Nessie and Masen. The homemade gifts from her kids are the only presents Bella will accept; she absolutely hates receiving store bought gifts."

Edward chuckled. "I see she hasn't changed a bit, has she?"

"Nope." I grinned at him.

"What were you going to make?" Esme asked, intrigued.

"Oh nothing too spectacular. I was planning on having Nessie and Masen add their handprints to a long-sleeved black shirt that I bought for Bella. It's actually something I did for her last year too. She absolutely loved it, which to me was a definite plus." I wasn't about to mention the fact that after she received this shirt she went out and bought a man's shirt so that she could have one made for Edward as well. She put that shirt, in addition to other items she wanted to keep safe, into a special keepsake box that she was making for him. Her biggest hope was that she would be able to give it to him some day. "Considering the fact that children grow so quickly, I thought it could be a yearly tradition that I could do for her. I went out earlier tonight and bought some fabric paint in addition to some plastic that I can put on the tables so that we don't ruin anything. Believe me, I know that both Nessie and Masen will also want to include more than just their handprints to the shirt. They love trying to be artistic; they call it being like Mommy." Edward grinned at that. "You know, if you want to you can join me."

"Yay," Alice cheered. "That sounds like so much fun; in fact, I could decorate my own little gift for Bella as well." I could only imagine what she could mean by that and figured that whatever it is it wouldn't necessarily be what Bella would have in mind as a homemade gift.

"Well, you're all welcome to join us. I can give you all a call later to let you know when." I looked at the three on the TV. "I do mean all of you are invited. I don't know how long it would take to get here, but you're more than welcome to be included." I didn't want to force them, but I thought I could see interest in all of their eyes.

"Won't Bella be upset?" Edward asked.

"It's possible, but I don't see her holding a grudge too long about this." I was more than willing to risk her _anger, _and I knew that if I had been in a similar situation, she would do the same for me.

"Then I think you can count on all of us being there," Jasper said.

"Well, then if you don't mind, I think I will head back to my room and attempt to get at least a little bit of sleep. I can already tell that it's going to be a jam-packed day, and I want to be at full attention."

Before I left, Esme brought me into a hug and whispered, "Thank you so much for all you have done for Bella these last few years. You have no idea how much this means to all of us."

"I couldn't have done anything less." I looked at the rest of them. "I'll see you all later," I said before walking out the door.

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Please feel free to leave a review if you feel like it.


	4. Chapter 4

I'm sorry it has taken me a while to get this chapter ready for updating. I hope you like it.

I would really like to thank the people from Project Team Beta (MrsDazzled, bonnysammy, mycrookedsmile, moonlightdreamer333) who all helped me so much with this chapter.

Disclaimer: All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. The original characters and plot are the property of the author. The author is in no way associated with the owners, creators, or producers of any media franchise. No copyright infringement is intended.

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**Chapter 4**

(Emmett POV)

For the longest time, after Angela left our suite, all we did was sit. Everyone else was probably trying to process everything we had heard tonight. I, on the other hand – well I was trying to rein in the rage that I was feeling towards the idiot on the TV.

Apparently, Eddie not only had sex with Bella, he lied to her and left her pregnant and in danger. A few years ago, I would have celebrated Edward finally getting laid, but now, looking at the big picture, his actions and words were inexcusable.

I was really trying to come up with a feasible excuse as to why Edward would have ever said or done any of those things. But no matter how hard I tried, I just couldn't come up with anything. Nothing seemed right. Because in the end, all he did was break the heart of the only woman he has and will ever love. Not only did he leave Bella behind, but he left her pregnant with his children.

I can't image how Bella must have felt when we left. She had given herself to Edward in the most intimate way two people could share. We all knew that she loved Edward with everything that was within her, but by handling it the way he had, he basically just threw it all back in her face.

Eddie had a lot of explaining to do, and God help him if he didn't answer our questions.

"So what are you waiting for?" I asked him.

Edward was either not listening to me, or he was trying to ignore me. From here, it was hard to tell, but I was determined to get his attention one way or another.

"Hey, _idiot_! I asked you a question. What are you waiting for?"

"Emmett, don't." I could tell from the look on Esme's face that she wanted me to take it easy, but I wasn't going to stop. Knowing Esme, she would want to give Edward time to reflect. Unfortunately for Edward, I was done waiting – he would answer.

"Why not, Esme? Don't I have a right to know what his plans are now? I can tell you for a fact that I have no intention of abandoning Bella or those children. Even if I have to beg for her forgiveness, I will do just that to be in her life again." Not being comfortable with the previous choice to leave Bella, I had wanted to stick around, but Carlisle and Esme thought it was important to go along with what Edward thought best. "If I knew back then what I know now, there is no way in hell any of you could have gotten me to agree to his asinine demands.

"It was bad enough hearing what that idiot over there said to Bella in the woods. But to find out about everything she's gone through during the last three years, just to survive." Images of what that must have been like for Bella just kept running through my head. "Edward, do you have any idea just how lucky you are?"

"Yes," he whispered softly.

"Really? Because I don't think you do. You obviously didn't realize what you had while you were with her. You not only found your mate, but you were given even more."

I looked at my beautiful wife, Rosie, and could feel my heart break for her. If I could have done anything to make it possible for her to have a child, I would have done it in a heartbeat. I loved her so much…and as her husband, her mate…well it tore me to pieces, knowing that I would never be able to give her the thing she desired most in this world.

"Do you realize the gift you have been given? A gift most of us would give almost anything to have?"

I looked at my mother Esme and knew the pain she went through over the loss of her own baby boy while she was still human. If she could have had a baby of her own I know that she would have been one hell of a mother.

"To be a vampire and have the ability to create a new life with your mate has got to be one of the greatest miracles any of us could have hoped for. And what did you do, Edward? You _abandoned_ her." Edward's eyes had an angry gleam to them. Oh, he was most definitely listening now. "And I realize you didn't know that she was pregnant, but once again, in your usual way, you decided that you knew what was best for her. You decided that Bella's wants were inconsequential to what you believed she needed. You never trusted her to tell you how she really felt. Now, we find out all you succeeded in doing was missing the events of the last three years. Of possibly losing everything you hold dear. And all of this happened because you're a know-it-all vampire, who thinks that because you have this talent of reading the minds of others, you would know what is best for the one person whose mind you can't read.

"Do you realize that if you hadn't been so high and mighty, you could have been there to protect her from Laurent, Victoria and her army of newborns? You could have been there by her side when she was diagnosed with that awful disease. You could have changed her as soon as the children were born. Instead, you were gone, and she had to go through all of that without you."

Esme put up her hand to stop me. "Edward, dear, we know that at the time you believed you were doing what was best for Bella. But we have learned differently in the last few hours."

The look of pain on Edward's face was severe. "I don't know how I will ever make this right." He spoke so quietly that without superior hearing, no one would have heard him. "How will I ever get any of them to trust me after what I did?"

"For starters, you need to realize that this is an opportunity that you can't walk away from. You love Bella. We all know that. And deep down I think Bella knows that too, but right now you are going to have to be willing to prove that to her. It may take time, and Lord knows that there is a part of me that hopes that Bella's stubborn side makes you work for it, but I have enough faith to believe that eventually, you will be successful. The first step in making this right is to come to Rochester." Esme said, while trying to sooth her oldest, yet youngest of children.

Esme looked at the screen and actually smiled. "Bella loves you, Edward. She loves you very much, and if you're looking for proof of that love, all you have to do is look at the painting behind you. She'll forgive you. The strength of her love for you is enduring, much like the name of that painting."

Alice smirked. "I agree with Esme. I hope Bella makes you work for it."

Carlisle took that moment to finally put our family meeting to a close. He probably knew that all we would accomplish, at this point, was to accuse Edward of more wrongdoing.

"Considering what we have found out, can I assume correctly that the three of you will be joining us?" Carlisle asked the family members still at home. When my wife and the other two nodded their agreement, Carlisle said his goodbyes and shut everything down.

It felt like time was going especially slowly. I knew it was probably another hour or two before they all got here, but I was getting extremely antsy to see Bella. I needed to see that she was okay. Noticing that it was finally going on seven in the morning, I decided that now would be the only opportunity to try and get a glimpse of her. It was time to take a page out of Edward's book; it was time to be stalker-Emmett, and who better to take on this little trip than my handy-dandy, trusty sidekick, Alice.

"Hey, Alice, how would you like to join me on a little field trip?"

Alice gave me the biggest smile I had seen on her face in a long while. "That sounds like a wonderful plan."

I figured the best chance to get a look at her was to hide somewhere in the lobby. While we were in the elevator, I could tell that Alice was concentrating on something. It was once we were finally in the lobby that Alice said anything.

"I don't see our future being disrupted at all if we stay in the lobby."

"Where do you think we should look?" I didn't want to take any chances, especially considering how long it had been since Alice had a vision including Bella.

"I'm not sure yet, but give me a minute." Alice headed over to the front desk. "Excuse me, sir."

When the young man behind the front desk gave her a worshipping look, she asked her question. "I was wondering, what options does the hotel offer for guests who need to get to the hospital?"

"Our guests have a few options to choose from. We, of course, offer a shuttle service several times a day for those who don't feel like walking. If somebody would like to walk, they can either walk outside, or they can go through the underground tunnel, which will take them straight there."

Alice's eyes got that glazed over look on her face for just a split second before she grinned.

"How do we get to the underground tunnel?"

"All you need to do is take the elevator down to the basement level and follow the signs to the tunnel."

"Thank you."

We made our way down to the basement and waited around a corner that would keep Bella from seeing us. We would have to be careful when she did show up; we didn't want to blow our cover, but we wanted to see her. I could tell that Alice was just as excited as I was.

We watched person after person make their way to the underground walkway, probably heading to the hospital for their own check-ups, meetings or to visit patients currently staying in the hospital. Finally, I started to notice a very familiar scent. I looked over at Alice and we both grinned when we heard the ding of the elevator.

It appeared that there was a group of people in the elevator, so though we could smell Bella it took us a few minutes before we finally got a glimpse of her. She was even prettier than I remembered her being. She was actually wearing some kind of a green dress. In all the time I had spent with her in the past, I had only seen her in a dress once and that was for prom. Even though I thought of her as a sister, she looked amazing; from the smile on Alice's face, I could tell that she approved as well.

She looked healthy, which was definitely something I had wanted to make sure of, but there was something else about her as well. She seemed to carry herself differently than she had before. She no longer watched the ground when she walked; she seemed to hold her head high with a new confidence that was quite attractive on her. Whatever she'd gone through or accomplished over the years, she had finally gained some self-confidence. I just hoped that with this self-confidence she didn't take it too easy on Edward.

"She's gorgeous," Alice whispered. "But have you noticed, even though her scent is the same, that there is something different about it? It's not tempting like it was before."

Now that she mentioned it, there was something different about her scent. The essence of her scent was still the same; I could definitely still smell the strawberries and freesia that she always seemed to smell like, but the instant burn in my throat was gone.

"You're right. Though she smells the same, she doesn't make me feel thirsty like she used to."

Alice nodded. "I wonder if this has anything to do with the pregnancy, the cancer or the treatments that she went through. There is definitely no burn."

"We should ask Carlisle about it when we get back to the room," I said, while watching Bella move further away from us. "But right now I just want to follow her a little bit more, do you mind?"

"Nope, I don't mind at all."

I wanted to get as close to her as I could, but it was only a minute later that I could tell that this was not possible. Alice and I both quickly got out of her line of sight when we saw her stop and start to turn her head back toward where we stood just seconds before.

"I think she senses our presence," I whispered to Alice. When she nodded we decided to just stay where we were.

"Let's go back to the suite and wait for the others to get here."

Now that I had confirmed that Bella looked well, I was getting even more excited to meet Renesmee and Masen. "Do you think that the children will like us?" I didn't like the fact that I felt so unsure, but at the moment I was extremely nervous that they wouldn't like me. It would have broken my heart if they didn't like me in some way.

"Oh, Emmett, don't worry so much. They will love you. You know you already have one hurdle taken care of in the fact that Bella always had a soft spot for you. If Angela was right, you won't have to worry about anything." Alice's smile was so bright that I couldn't help but feel better about it.

"What time do you see the others getting here?"

"They should be here within the next hour." That's when I noticed an evil grin come over her face. When she saw me staring at her, the grin got even larger.

"What did you see?" I couldn't keep the humor out of my tone.

"Oh, not much. Just the fact that Edward is going to be quite jealous of the two of us."

"And why might Edward be jealous?"

"He'll be jealous because we got to do something this morning that he hasn't had the chance to do in a very long time." When I just stared at her, waiting for her to go on, she rolled her eyes at my slowness. "We got to see Bella."

"Oh!" She had a point there, which made it all the more fun when you thought about it. "Well good. I'm glad that we got to see her first." To me, it kind of seemed like payback for part of the crap we had to put up with since we had last seen Bella.

When we got into the elevator, I suddenly got an idea that I hoped would just be one more thing that I got to hold over Eddie boy. I proceeded to push the button for every single floor on the way back to our suite.

"Emmett, what are you doing?" Alice seemed a bit annoyed at my antics so far, but I had a feeling that her annoyance would go away as soon as she realized what I was trying to do.

"Sister of mine, you need to have a little faith." When the elevator opened up to the first floor, I stuck my head out and sniffed the air. When I could tell that Bella hadn't come from this floor, I stuck my head back into the elevator so that we could go to the next level.

"I'm trying to see if I can pinpoint the location of Bella's room." I grinned at Alice. "I thought that if we can find her room, we can hear if Angela and the children are up and about."

Alice started dancing around the elevator. "Oh, that's absolutely perfect."

I nodded and stuck my head out on the second floor. When I was satisfied that Bella's room wasn't on this floor either, we traveled up to the next floor.

"Even if we don't see them, if we could hear their voices before him, you know that it would just irritate him." We followed the same pattern at each floor until we discovered Bella's scent. She was on the fifth floor, just two floors below our own, and from what we could tell, she was located on the opposite side of the building from us. When we got to the last room in that hallway, we could tell that this was where Bella's scent ended.

"This has got to be her room," Alice whispered.

Luckily the room was around the corner, so we wouldn't be noticed right away if we just stood out there for a few minutes. We both tilted our heads towards the door, and when we heard giggles, we just looked at each other and grinned.

"Angee! Angee! Come find me."

"Oh no, where could Masen have gone? I hope I can find him."

We could hear little giggles from the other side of the room. It sounded like Angela was closer to the door.

"Nessie, do you know where your brother is?"

You know, I really liked the nickname Nessie; I hoped she'd be okay with me calling her that. It seemed sweet for a little girl, not stuffy and long like her real name.

"Tack him," Nessie answered, laughing due to the excitement of the game they were playing.

"So, you want to track him down like Seth and Jacob would?"

"YAY!" Renesmee squealed.

"Okay, Nessie, lead the way. What should we do first to try and track your brother?"

"Get on hands and knees." We could hear someone taking deep breaths, but I couldn't be sure what she was doing.

"You want us to try and use our noses to follow Masen's trail?" Nessie must have nodded in agreement because instead of her answering we could hear Angela again. "I think that's a wonderful idea. Let's follow our noses"

"'Kay."

We stood there for a few minutes as we listened to Angela and our niece search for Masen. Every once in a while we would hear a giggle on the other side of the room. Clearly, Masen was having fun trying to hide but kept giving away his location.

Finally, we heard a little girl's voice sing-song out. "Found you!"

"Come on, let's go tell Carlisle and Esme what we have learned so far this morning."

When we got back to the suite, we noticed an eager looking Esme and Carlisle sitting on the couch talking to one another. When they looked at us, we could see the overwhelming excitement of today's possibilities.

"Where did you go?" Esme asked eagerly.

Alice literally bounced over to them, bringing an even bigger smile to their faces. Wanting to have my own fun, I decided to play it up.

"We were assigned a special covert mission, a mission to explore strange new worlds, to seek out new life and new civilizations, to boldly go where no man has gone before," I spouted off with such an overly dramatic flair that they just laughed at me. "In the end, I was glad that the force was with us."

It was then that our suite door opened up and Edward came into the room, closely followed by Jasper and my beautiful wife.

"Okay, Captain Kirk, or are you Obi Wan Kenobi? Do you realize that you have used lines from both _Star Trek_ and _Star Wars_ in your little story?" After laughing for a second, Jasper asked, "What kind of mission did you go on this time, young Skywalker?" He was getting caught up in our giddy behavior.

"It was a very dangerous mission indeed. We went in search of a rare yet beautiful brunette, who just so happened to be on her way to her doctor's appointment this morning."

It was then that Edward must have seen the image of Bella in our minds because he came to a complete stand still. Trying to ignore Edward, Alice went and sat next to Esme, to take over the telling of our story.

"We wanted to see Bella, so we waited for her to make her way to the underground walkway to the hospital," Alice told them, gripping even harder onto Esme's hand. "Oh, Esme, she is absolutely gorgeous."

Wanting to see how Edward would react, I was disappointed that there was still no response out of him. Turning back to Carlisle and Esme, I decided it was time for me to give my own two cents.

"I'm sure she is only saying that because Bella was dressed more stylishly than she had ever dressed when we lived in Forks."

Alice stuck her tongue out at me.

"I dare say that Bella would have looked lovely regardless of what type of clothing she was wearing," Esme said smoothly.

"You should see her Esme, it wasn't just the dress that she wore, though the Kelly green wrap dress she was wearing was very becoming on her, it was her whole essence." Esme's eyes brightened at Alice's words. "Bella seemed to have gained the self-confidence to walk with her head held high. She finally seemed to have a true sense of self-worth, something she never seemed to possess when we were around her previously." Alice stopped long enough to look at Edward.

"Edward?" Alice said.

Edward finally focused his eyes on Alice, showing us that he was paying attention.

"I don't think you will be able to handle Bella. Something tells me that her new found self-confidence is going to make her too hot for you to handle. You won't know what hit you when the time comes."

I laughed loudly as I drew Rosalie into my arms. "I have to agree half-pint." I looked at Edward. "Eddie, I sure hope you're man enough to handle her, because she's not only gorgeous, but I would have to admit that she is by far the sexiest human I have ever come in contact with."

Edward only seemed to swallow loudly at both our verbal description and the image in our minds of his beloved Bella.

Esme was trying to get our attention back to our story, and when Alice finally caught on, she directed her attention to Carlisle.

"Carlisle, there was something new that we noticed about Bella that we weren't sure about."

"What do you mean, Alice?"

"It's her scent. It's changed somehow," I added before Alice went into further detail.

"She still smells like herself – that combination of strawberries and freesia she always had before – but the burn that we would usually feel in our throats wasn't there. If I had to compare it to something, I would probably have to say that it was like coming in contact with one of our kind."

"Really? There was no pull from her blood?"

"No. None at all. Do you think this would have been caused from the pregnancy, her cancer or even the treatments that she underwent?" Alice asked.

"Yeah, because she is most definitely human; she still had a heartbeat, so we could tell for a fact that she had not become one of us."

"I really don't know what could have changed. I've been around cancer survivors, both before and after they have undergone cancer treatments, but their blood was still appealing." He seemed to speculate about it for a while. "Maybe it does have something to do with the fact that she carried half-vampire children. It's most definitely something that I will have to research more before I can say for certain."

"What else did you do this morning while you were gone? You were both out for quite a while considering the fact that it's sunny outside." I could tell that Esme just wanted to find out as much as possible.

"Well, Emmett here wanted to see if we could locate Bella's room, so we got into the elevator and tried to track down what floor she was on." She looked at Edward. "We found their room and listened in on Angela and Renesmee playing hide and go seek with Masen. It was absolutely adorable to hear."

Edward seemed in awe. Both Alice and I looked at each other disappointed that we weren't getting an Edwardesque fit in reaction to our stories.

Alice burst out in giggles. "You know what, Edward? Your reaction is greatly anticlimactic about all of this. You are completely disappointing Emmett and I with your calmness. We totally expected you to be all… well, Edward about this."

"Sorry to disappoint the two of you, but right now, I'm so happy to have any new insight into their lives that I don't mind that it's coming second-hand." Edward grinned.

In all honesty, Edward seemed almost serene about the whole thing. I found it to be highly disconcerting because knowing him, it would be unavoidable that at some point in all of this his head would come out of the clouds and be replaced with the somber and guilt-ridden Edward. I just hoped that when that time came, Bella would, hopefully, be around and willing to snap his sorry ass out of it.

"When do you think we will all have the chance to meet the kids?" Rosalie asked me. I could see the anticipation in her eyes.

"I don't know, babe. I would imagine that it would be during Bella's absence from the hotel." I looked over to Carlisle. "How long does something like this typically take?"

"That all depends on what the doctor wants. Bella's doctor has a reputation of being very thorough with her patients. I would think that Dr. Lawson would have Bella undergo a physical and some blood work in addition to something along the lines of a body scan. Considering how busy the hospital has a tendency to be, I can imagine that she will be gone most of the day."

"I hope everything goes alright for her today. I would hate to think of the possibility of her cancer coming back." Esme said.

"I know dear. None of us want to see Bella get sick, but there is always the possibility of the cancer coming back again."

"But, Carlisle, Angela said that they gave her a hysterectomy, that they removed all of that from her body. How could she have a relapse?" Alice seemed confused but considering the fact that neither Alice nor I had ever really studied medicine, it wasn't surprising that we wouldn't know as much as the rest of them when it came to things like this.

"I would never claim to be a cancer specialist, so I don't have the pertinent information available off the top of my head, but it's not uncommon for the patient to become sick with a different form of cancer."

Either in reaction to Carlisle's words or thoughts, a look of utter determination appeared on Edward's face.

"I won't allow that!"

"And how exactly do you plan on stopping it? Are you actually saying that you would change her so she wouldn't have to go through that disease again? You would change her so that she wouldn't have to go through that disease again?" I had to admit that I was a bit surprised to hear my wife's questions. Though I never agreed with Rosalie's usual animosity towards Bella, I always accept her own opinion about things. But I could see by the look on Rosalie's face that something had changed. I no longer saw that need, the desire for her to hate Bella. If I had to venture a guess, I would say that she was about to become Bella's advocate. I was so happy about this change I almost did a little happy dance.

For a while, none of us thought Edward was going to answer Rosalie's questions. All he did was pace the living room floor. Finally he stopped and turned to look at all of us.

"If I could go back to that awful day and take back everything I said, everything I did to hurt Bella, I would. I would give anything to have been there when Bella was pregnant with our children.

"I would have protected Bella from all of the outside dangers that threatened to take her life and when she was diagnosed with cancer…" Edward's voice cracked at the mention of Bella's disease "…when she was diagnosed with cancer, I would have promised to change her the instant our children were born. I would have done whatever it was that she wanted. Just the thought that my children could have lost the only parent they had ever known." Edward shook his head, as if to clear his head. "I can't even begin to imagine what would have happened if she hadn't made it. Even though I know that she had a contingency plan set-up with Angela and Jacob, it wouldn't have been the same."

"Lighten up, bro. You're here now, which is the important thing…and even though a huge part of me is still wants to tear you limb from limb, I know I can't. Bella, quite simply, wouldn't approve, and she is the last person I would want to get mad at me. She could ban me from spending time with your kids." I wasn't about to risk the opportunity of playing Uncle Emmett.

"I got it," Alice called out to the room, while she walked over to the conference phone we had used earlier.

"Huh?"

"The phone is about to ring and I'm going to answer it," Alice explained, and sure enough, at that moment, the phone began to ring.

"Hello."

"Hello. Is this the Cullens' room?"

"Hi, Angela. This is Alice."

"Hi."

"Are you still okay with us all getting together today?"

"Though I'm a bit nervous about doing this behind Bella's back, I would like to still meet up with you all. How would you prefer to handle this?"

I could tell by Angela's tone that she was really nervous about how today was going to go. But before she could go on, we heard a little voice in the background.

"Angee…Birthday Mommy. Birthday Mommy!"

The look on every face in our suite was enraptured by the little voice.

"I know, Masen. Don't worry we'll get started on your mommy's birthday gift shortly. I just need to finish this phone call. Okay?"

"'Kay."

"Thank you, Masen. Why don't you go play with your sister for just a few more minutes?" We could hear little feet running as he made his way to another part of their room.

"I'm sorry about that."

"No worries. I think we would have more room if you brought the kids up here to our room."

"I don't know."

"Don't worry, Angela. It will work out great. In fact, it may be best if we meet up here. This would be one way of insuring that Bella doesn't come back early and get the shock of her life by seeing us hanging around."

"Well, I guess you have a point." She was quiet for a moment, probably trying to weigh the pros and cons to this new set of plans. "What time would you like us to come up to your room?"

"How about you just come up when you're ready? That way there is no pressure to be here by a certain time."

"Okay. Well I, guess we'll see you all shortly. Bye."

* * *

I would like to thank all of you who have taken time to read my story. I truly apprciate it.


	5. Chapter 5

I would like to thank the wonderful group of people at Project Team Beta who have helped me so much with my story. You guys are the absolute best...

Disclaimer: All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. The original characters and plot are the property of the author. The author is in no way associated with the owners, creators, or producers of any media franchise. No copyright infringement is intended.

* * *

**Chapter 5**

(Edward POV)

I was going to meet them. Me. I was actually going to meet my own children. I never in a million years dreamed it was a possibility, but it was. I was actually going to meet the two most precious people, other than their mother, to have ever come into my existence. Just thinking about them made me feel all tingly inside. Any other feelings, like guilt, pain and heartache, well I just wasn't going to let them interfere with my little high at this moment.

I did not want to think about the different possibilities that I could be looking at when it came to Bella and the children. Lord knew they had every right to refuse any contact with me after everything I put them all through, but I was hoping for that to change. I still had that glimmer of hope that I could, one day, earn their trust and forgiveness and could one day earn a place in their lives.

I was going to try not to reflect on the time that I had lost with them and only concentrate on making up for my absence. I knew that if I had Bella and the children by my side, I would have nothing more to ask for.

"Alice dear, do you have any idea what time Angela and the children might be arriving?" Esme asked.

Alice seemed to be frustrated at her inability to get a glimpse of Bella, Angela or the children. A part of me could understand that her ability to see Bella shutoff when she became pregnant. When you think about it, it makes sense that it was her conception with the children that caused this while she was pregnant. But is it Bella's constant interaction with them that was still causing the disruption in Alice's visions? And what about the vision anomaly that Alice had regarding Angela? Was her time spent around the children blocking her future from being seen by Alice? Or was it more along the lines of Angela's connection with Jacob that guarded her?

I could see Alice trying with all her might to try to get a concrete vision of the children, but all she could do was see blankness in the future.

"I can only assume that the reason why our futures go blank in the next hour is because they will arrive by that time," Alice said with a disgruntled look on her face. When she looked at me, I heard her concerns. _This feels so strange. I feel as though I have been deemed useless when it comes to knowing whether or not Bella and the children are safe. I really don't like that thought; I can only hope that once they are here and I get to know them better, I may be able to tune into them._

I could truly understand her worry about that because it would be one of my main concerns. If Alice could't see them to know whether or not something dangerous was coming, how would we be able to keep them safe? And to make matters worse, if they had the ability to keep their thoughts to themselves, just like Bella, it would only make it more difficult to guarantee their safety.

_What's going on, Edward? You were so calm and happy a minute ago; why are you suddenly starting to panic?_ Jasper asked me.

"The fact that Alice can't see Bella and the children anymore is a bit worrisome." I sent a look over to Alice so that she would understand that I was not criticizing her lack of vision. I didn't want to make her feel any worse about something she had no control over. "I mean, if Alice can't see them, maybe the children will also be like their mother where I can't hear them. How will I ever be able to protect them if we can't see when something dangerous is coming? Or if they're hurt and I can't hear their thoughts to know that they need me?"

"Edward, son, you need to calm down," Carlisle said while putting a hand on my shoulder to reassure me. "Millions of parents are in the same boat and deal with parenthood quite nicely. And just because Alice's gift may have been affected by the children's special make-up, it does not mean that you will too. They are a part of you, that link alone will give you a special bond allowing you into their thoughts regardless of Bella's influence. But either way, we won't know until we meet them."

Carlisle had a point. I was glad that he was so often the voice of reason in our household. He always seemed to have an innate ability to force me to consider other possibilities.

"Esme dear, I think we should try to make them feel as comfortable as possible. Would you mind ordering some refreshments from room service?" Carlisle asked.

"I think that's a wonderful idea." Esme in all her excitement of being a grandmother and having little ones to look after walked over to the phone so that she could make arrangements with room service.

"What about when they get here, Carlisle?" Rosalie asked. "How do you think we should handle that? I don't think any of us want to make them scared, but having us all in the room here when they first come inside might make them nervous."

I really was blown away by Rosalie's total about-face when it came to Bella. Now the only bad thoughts that she had when it came to Bella had to do with me and my _selfishness_ over making Bella's decisions for her. This was exactly what she had wanted me to do since I had met Bella, but that all changed once she found out that Bella had become pregnant with my children. I was the bad guy now. It was something I was in total agreement with, but the irony of the situation wasn't lost on me.

"I think to start with, we should somehow allow them into this room by themselves. I think that if they're given a few minutes to get acclimated with their surroundings Edward can then join them." Carlisle looked my way before thinking, _I think that is the least we can do is give you a private moment with them, Edward._

"Thank you, Carlisle." Hearing him say that put a huge smile on my face. I was so glad that Carlisle was the one to suggest this; I could only imagine what some of their reactions would be if I had requested this.

"Once Edward has had some time with them, we'll just play it by ear. If they seem to be shy, we may need to do the introductions one at a time, but if they seem fine, then I think the rest of us could join them at the same time." He looked over to the rest of the family. "I know we are all anxious to meet them, but we should proceed with caution. Even though they have been around the wolves their entire life does not mean that they may not be nervous when they come in contact with our kind. They may not be prepared for our characteristics, and we should treat them like we would any other human we have come in contact with before."

I could see that Alice was trying to get a definite timeline for the children's arrival, and it l0oked like it would be right after the room service was delivered. This tells me that the hotel worker delivering the food will still be here when Angela, Renesmee and Masen arrive.

"I think that we should all wait in the bedrooms until it's time to come out," Alice began to explain. "I'll stay out here at first to let the guy with the room service in. Once he starts placing the items on the bar, I'm going to give him an excuse why I have to leave the room, letting him know that we are expecting company and that if they show up while I'm out of the room, he should just let them in on his way out."

"That seems simple enough," Jasper replied. "When should we go into the bedrooms?"

"He should be here in the next ten minutes," Alice commented.

When the room service was delivered, Alice banished all of us to the bedroom. It was only a couple minutes later, after explaining our intended company to the hotel employee, that Alice came into the room as well.

I could hear Angela's thoughts and could tell that she was really nervous as to how things were going to go. Even if they kids were excited about making Bella's present in a secret location, she wasn't sure how they would react once they saw us.

The most wonderful part was that I could hear the thoughts of somebody other than Angela. This person's thoughts were very direct and focused on meeting these _special people_, as Angela had described us.

I could only assume that it was one of my children's thoughts, which was a true blessing. The little voice I could hear in my head was truly angelic, and I could tell that they would do anything to make Bella happy.

While reflecting on this thought, I would every once in a while get a sense of someone else's thoughts. They weren't clear thoughts, at least they weren't at that moment. In a way, they reminded me of how Charlie's thoughts came through, somewhat guarded but the sense of his thoughts were usually easy to tell. The sense I got was that this person had a very protective nature and wanted to make sure their mother's birthday gift was perfect.

In my attempts at trying to figure out whose thoughts were whose, I almost missed the exchange between Angela and the hotel worker who was leaving. It appeared that she was letting them out of a stroller that fitted two people and was giving them time to explore.

"Angie, where special people?" I could tell from Angela's thoughts that it was Renesmee speaking in her perfect little voice, much like the voice I could hear so clearly in my mind.

"Oh, I'm sure they'll be out any minute." Angela answered her, and then redirected her thoughts to the bedrooms.

_Um. Edward. If you're here…You can come out now._

I felt myself freeze for a split second. It was time. My anticipation of that moment was becoming too much for me, and if Jasper hadn't been around, I'm sure I would have stayed frozen for much longer. His calming effect gave me just enough courage to go out and meet my own children.

I quietly made my way out to the living room where I found Renesmee and Masen bouncing around in excitement over the size of the room. All I could think about was how absolutely perfect they were. My heart would have been bursting out of my chest if it was still capable of it. While they were distracted, I took that time to just soak them in. Their movements, their happiness over being here, seemed almost joyful, and I only wished that it remained that way.

It took a few minutes before anyone realized that someone was with them, but when Renesmee first noticed me, her entire body froze. I slowly saw a dazzling smile come across her face as she stared at me. Finally her thoughts said the most beautiful word I could have ever dreamed of hearing. _Daddy?_

As soon as she realized who I was, she didn't hesitate in getting her brother's attention. She grabbed Masen's hand and passed her thought to him, but this time – instead of it sounding like a question – it was a flat out statement. _Daddy!_

Masen jerked to look in the direction that his sister was facing and saw who she was talking about. At first, all I could get was a confused jumble of thoughts, but finally I could hear it as clear as his sister's. _Daddy!_

I could feel the emotion getting to me, and my eyes filled with venom as I felt the joy of what was happening. Knowing that all they'd only seen me in pictures drawn by their mother did not mean they would recognize me when confronted, but they did. That fact was they both did, without pause, know who I was and that gave me such unfathomable joy. I just didn't know what to do with it.

They both stared at each other, before they looked over to Angela as if asking permission. When she smiled and nodded her head, they both took off running and screaming.

"DADDY! DADDY!"

They both took off as fast as they could and ran directly into my arms. That moment was the first time in three years that I felt like a part of my heart had mended back into its rightful place. All I could do was hug them and spin them around like a fool. When they started laughing, I stopped so that I could gently place a kiss on each of their heads.

There was just no way that I would ever be able to let them go. I wanted to get another look at their perfect faces, so I carried them over to the couch and placed them on my lap. I couldn't get over how utterly beautiful they were. Renesmee's face was the spitting image of Bella, while Masen most definitely resembled me. It really was uncanny seeing what parts of Bella and me made up these two little people.

I could tell that Renesmee was very eager to talk to me.

"Daddy!" Renesmee smiled, touching my check with her hand, trying to show me what I could already see in her mind. She was showing me all of the times that their mother showed them the drawings she had done of all of us, in her way of making us real to them. The pictures were so detailed, not a feature missing from a single of them.

Masen just held onto my hand, and I found myself in awe of being able to hear some of my own thoughts run through his mind. Though I knew I wasn't getting everything, it was very interesting to see his little mind consider the things that he found. When I looked at him, he gave me a more timid smile and said the one thing that brought my elation to a standstill.

"Mommy miss you." I could hear a protective nature come into his thoughts. I knew that due to him being able to read Bella's mind, he knew much more about the pain she had gone through than his sister did. It made me feel guilty, not only for putting Bella through that, but to have made my son feel helpless as well was inexcusable. That was not something a toddler should ever have to feel, and for that I would be eternally sorry.

I traced my fingers along his little check. My hope was to convey into those big green eyes, my regret for putting them all through this. "And I miss your mommy too, very much."

He seemed to study me for a minute before finally asking, "Daddy make Mommy better?"

I kissed him lightly on the forehead breathed in his perfect scent one more time. "Yes. I will try to make it all better."

"I love you both very much, and I'm so very sorry that I haven't been around." Not wanting Renesmee to feel left out, I traced her cheek and placed a gentle kiss on her forehead as well.

I knew that I couldn't ignore my family's thoughts any longer. Their thoughts were starting to overpower my own. I knew that if I wanted a moment's peace, I had to allow them their chance at meeting my children.

I looked at both of them one more time before I started to explain. "There are some more people here who would like to meet you. Is it okay for them to come out here too?" I asked. They looked at each other, trying to figure out what the other might be thinking.

"I think it would be okay if the others came in here," Angela said when I looked at her. She then turned her attention to Nessie and Masen and got a very happy look on her face. I could tell that she was trying to reassure them that what was coming was very good. "Are you two ready for another surprise?"

I couldn't help but chuckle when I saw that Angela's excitement had rubbed off onto them. At this point, they were practically dancing in my lap with their eagerness over who else may be here. When I noticed the door open and Esme and Carlisle coming out of the room first, I pointed my finger over in their direction.

They could see everyone that was slowly making their way out of the bedroom and knew who everyone was. The excitement on their faces was contagious to everyone in the room, but their main focus was on Esme and Carlisle.

Within a moment, they were off my lap and running into the arms of Esme and Carlisle while they were practically chanting, "Nana. Papa. Nana. Papa."

The joy this brought to my parents faces was priceless. They were in awe at the recognition and pure affection that my children were willing and eager to bestow upon them. Esme's eyes were filled with tears that would never be shed, while Carlisle was just simply shell-shocked by the experience.

After several moments, they finally let them go where they could see their aunts and uncles for the first time. I saw that they were trying to decide who to go see first, but finally they decided to split up and go in different directions.

While Renesmee rushed over to one side squealing, "Auntie Alice! Uncle Jazz!" Masen rushed over to the other side doing the same thing. "Auntie Rose! Uncle Em!"

They repeated the process when they traded sides. It was several minutes of squeals, laughs and hugs before everyone started to calm down enough to be able to look over at Angela.

"I am forever indebted to you, Angela. Thank you," I said to Angela. I would have given her a hug, but I didn't want to frighten her.

Emmett, however, had other ideas. He walked over to Angela and very slowly and carefully took Angela into one of his famous bear hugs and whispered. "Thank you, Angela. You have no idea what your courage to come talk to us last night did for all of us – knowing what we are and still finding the strength to approach us." He saw her shocked expression and chuckled. "To put it in simpler terms, you've got some balls on you, Angela. I'm sorry I didn't realize that when we lived in Forks." Angela blushed at his words, which only caused Emmett to laugh.

My attention was redirected over to Masen who had his arms around Jasper's neck. He must have picked up on Jasper's somber thoughts about regret from three years ago, and he was trying to reassure him.

"Stop," he whispered in Jasper's ear. "Mommy not mad at you. Mommy loves you." He placed a gentle kiss on Jasper's check while his thoughts were saying,_ be happy._

Jasper seemed to be in awe at his nephew's affection towards him.

"Jasper, my son wants you to be happy. I think he wants you to know that the past has been forgotten. If Bella can get past it, we all need to try." I looked at Masen, "You only want happy thoughts?"

"Yes." Masen smiled at me.

Well, if that's what my son wanted, then I was going to work my hardest to make it a reality.

"Okay, little man. I'll work my hardest to only be happy," Jasper said while he hugged Masen one more time before passing him off into Alice's arms.

"Angela says that you and your sister like to make presents for your mommy. Is that true?" Alice asked.

"Yup." He grinned at her and looked at his sister who was nodding her agreement as well. "Can we make present now?"

Alice grinned. "We most certainly can. Angela, did you bring your supplies?"

"Yes, I did. All of the supplies are in the storage basket of the stroller. I'll get it." Angela began to say, but Alice didn't let her get any farther.

"Don't worry about it. You stay here with the kids, I'll go get the table and supplies all set up. I'll be done in a minute." She quickly raced over to the stroller and started unpacking everything.

We all seemed to have an awkward moment just standing around. The children just kept smiling and looking at each and every one of us, as though we would disappear if they closed their eyes. Masen caught my eye once more and slowly made his way back over to me.

I picked him up and gave him another embrace. His little face fit in the crook of my neck, and it felt so peaceful to be able to hold him. I would never grow tired of being able to do that.

He just sat there in my arms, probably hugging with as much strength as his little arms could muster. When he finally pulled back from my neck, I could feel him place a soft kiss on my cheek before he said, "I love you, Daddy."

I hugged him close to me and whispered in his ear, "I love you too, Masen."

I could feel someone tugging on my pant's leg, and I looked down to see that my little girl was trying to get my attention. I bent down and picked her up. "I love you too, Renesmee." She hugged my neck and followed her brother's actions by kissing the opposite cheek.

"I have everything set-up if you want to get started on your mommy's birthday gift." Alice called from over from the dining room table.

When we all made our way over there, I saw how Alice had put a sheet of plastic over the table with some kind of paint spattered clothing over one of the chairs. On the protected table were several bottles of fabric paint, some brushes, stencils and paper plates ready to be used. The children clapped with excitement over all of the items they found.

"I would have set out the shirt, Angela, but I couldn't find it in the stroller." Alice said to Angela.

Angela looked confused for a minute before she blushed. "Oh, I'm sorry, I forgot that I put the clothing in my bag." She took the bag off her shoulder and put it on the ground so that she could get out what she was looking for. She pulled out a bag and handed it over to Alice. "Here you go. Sorry about that."

"It's nothing to get embarrassed about," Alice commented while taking the shirt out of the bag. When she placed it on the table, she turned her attention back to the children. "So, what did you two want to do? This shirt most definitely needs something artsy to be added to it."

"Not yet," Renesmee said before looking over at Angela. "Get like mommy first."

All of us just looked at each other, not quite sure what she meant by that. That was until I saw Angela walk over to them and take their hands.

"Let's go get like mommy," Angela said, smiling. _It's quite cute actually. Bella has a certain style that she always has when she is painting. Whenever Nessie and Masen do any painting, they feel that they have to look just like her to get the job accomplished._

That was when I saw a picture of how Bella usually looked like while she painted. All the different pictures going through Angela's mind were of Bella wearing the same paint-splattered flannel shirt with the sleeves rolled up to her elbows and her hair in some kind of messy up do. She looked absolutely breathtaking.

I watched as Angela helped the children get into their big button down paint shirts. Then Angela finished off the looks by making Masen's already messy hair even messier, while pulling Renesmee's curly locks into a messy ponytail.

"Okay, you two look ready to me," Angela decided after getting a good look at the two of them.

Just when I thought they would be ready to begin, Renesmee looked at me and shook her head no.

"Daddy needs to get like mommy," Renesmee said with a big smile on her face. To say that I was shocked was an understatement. I was quite surprised when I saw that she wanted me to help them make this birthday gift for Bella.

"You want me to help you?" I asked just to make sure.

Renesmee showed Masen what she wanted to do, and I could see his face get excited.

"Yes!" they both answered.

"Well I don't have a painting shirt. Is it okay if I just wear this?" I asked them, unsure if they would be picky about it.

They both looked at what I was wearing and could see that they wanted me to fix the sleeves of my black button down so that they were rolled up like theirs. I gave them both a nod and proceeded to roll up my sleeves. Once I was finished, I got down on my knees so that they could really examine me.

"Now am I ready?"

They both ran over to me and put their hands into my already chaotic hair and made it even messier looking. Once they were done, they took my hands and walked me over to the table with them.

I could hear Emmett chuckle at my appearance, but I didn't care at all. If this is what they deemed the appropriate look to be artistic so be it.

* * *

Thank you so much for reading this latest chapter!


	6. Chapter 6

Disclaimer: All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. The original characters and plot are the property of the author. The author is in no way associated with the owners, creators, or producers of any media franchise. No copyright infringement is intended.

* * *

**Chapter 6**

**(Bella's POV)**

There most definitely was something in the air. I felt it with every breath and every move I made. It made me itchy to get to the bottom of it all. I felt as though if I didn't find out what it was soon, I would quite literally be driven insane, and because of that I was irritated.

It had all started the previous night when Angela came back to our room and told me that the gift shop was closed, and that she was going to go to the coffee shop around the corner for a little while. I could see it in her face that she was hiding something from me.

The very next morning, Angela's behavior seemed even stranger when she practically pushed me out the door as soon as I was ready. Every time I tried to talk to her, she'd look in the opposite direction. That simple action right there told me she was lying to me about something. Angela was the most honest person I had ever met, and the only time she ever avoided somebody was when she felt the need to lie.

With my paranoia already on high alert before even leaving the hotel room, everything got all the more intense when I reached the underground tunnel between the hotel and the hospital. Immediately upon walking out into the tunnel I could feel it, it was so tangible that it felt like a buzz of energy was literally pulsating through every cell of my body.

I could tell that I was being watched, and even though I had no idea who it was, something told me I wasn't in any real danger. I had learned how to recognize the difference between being watched by a friend and being watched by an enemy a couple of years ago. Something I became very used to when I was being threatened by Victoria, during that time I could sense whether I was being watched by one of the pack or by one of Victoria's minions.

But I couldn't understand why I would be watched now. It was one thing to be watched by a friend when I knew there was a specific reason why it needed to be done, but it was a completely different situation when they went behind my back and tried to keep an eye on me. It wasn't a practice that I would ever let them get away with regardless of their good intentions, and I would have thought they realized the importance of keeping me informed a while ago.

It didn't go very well the last time they attempted to watch me without keeping me in the loop. If Jake and Seth had asked me whether or not I minded them sending some of the pack over to our house as a way of making sure their imprints were safe, I would have been fine, but they didn't. So it shouldn't have surprised them to find out that as soon as I sensed my home being watched that I wouldn't think twice about taking matters into my own hands. Unfortunately, Paul and Jared learned that lesson the hard way when I aimed a shotgun just over their heads and gave them a warning shot. They both knew that Charlie had taught me how to use that gun, and they knew enough from my dad's bragging that I didn't miss unless I wanted to.

As soon as I made it into the main lobby of the hospital, I pulled out my phone and called Seth, but it went straight to voicemail. I knew that the only time he didn't answer his phone was when he phased. An unanswered phone from a pack member didn't always mean something was wrong, but considering the vibes I had been getting, it didn't mean anything good either.

I decided to try Jake next, but his phone went straight to voicemail too.

BEEP

"Jake, it's Bella," I began. "You need to call me when you get this message. I can tell that something is going on. First, Angela is acting weird. I know that she's keeping something from me. Secondly, while walking to the hospital just now I could feel myself being watched. Did you guys go behind my back again and issue a protection detail on me?" My voice quickly changed from mildly irritated to flat out angry. "If you did go behind my back, again, you should know that there won't be a warning shot this time. In fact let me just put it to you this way … this time there will be so much buckshot in your ass it will take you a week with even your healing capabilities to be able to sit down again."

After I got off the phone I made my way to Melinda's office.

"Hello," I greeted Melinda's assistant, Helen.

"Good Morning, Bella."

"I know I'm early, but do you mind if I just wait over there until Melinda is ready for me?" I asked her while I pointed towards the little sitting area located by the aquarium on the other side of the sitting area.

"Not at all," Helen replied. "Melinda should be back shortly. She wanted to get her rounds done before meeting with you."

Helen left me to my own business, and I was surprised when just a short while later Melinda arrived.

"Bella, it's so good to see you," Melinda said with a smile on her face and pulled me into an embrace, but her happiness seemed to be forced.

It was really good to see her. Melinda had become the one person in my life who knew absolutely everything about me. I didn't need to keep any secrets from her, and because of that I had an outlet anytime I needed to get something off my chest. I hoped that she would be comfortable letting me know what had her troubled.

"It's good to see you too, Melinda."

"Why don't you come into my office and we'll get the party started."

She closed the door to her office after I walked in and gave me a moment to get situated.

"Now why don't you tell me what's troubling you," she said after giving me the once over.

"Pardon me?"

She waved her hand at me dismissively. "I can tell just by looking at you that you're troubled about something. What's wrong?"

"I'll tell you what's troubling me if you tell me what has you so down." That was when I saw her eyes go sad again. In that moment I knew that whatever it was it had her really upset.

She closed her eyes and sighed. "I've been asked to talk to you about all of it, but I need a little more time to get my thoughts in order." She opened her eyes and gave me a hopeful look. "Do you mind going first?"

I nodded. I could give her time if that's what she needed, so I started. "Something seems to be going on, and I can't figure out what it is."

When she just started at me with a confused look on her face, I knew she was waiting for me to explain.

"Last night Angela went down to the lobby to see if the gift shop was still open. When she came back, she acted strange. She told me some story about going to the coffee shop around the corner so she could get a hot chocolate, and she thought she would get some work done while she was there as well."

"That doesn't seem very strange to me," Melinda commented.

"Well, it was the way she was acting that was strange. She practically raced out of the room and never once made eye contact when she told me her plans."

"And I'm assuming that's not normal behavior for Angela?"

"Not at all; Angela is one of the warmest, most friendly people I have ever met. The only time she ever acts like that is when she feels the need to lie about something." One of the many things I had learned about Angela over the years is the fact that she can't tell a lie if her life depended on it. "Any time she finds the need to lie she tries to avoid the person, which was what she's been doing to me."

"Did she give any other reason to believe something was wrong?"

I thought back to earlier. "This morning she acted as though she couldn't get me out of the room fast enough. It was like my being there was keeping her from something." I remembered the eager look on her face and couldn't for the life of me figure out what it meant. Though I thought I may understand now.

"Have you considered the fact that your birthday is in just a couple of days," she suggested.

"It's possible," I admitted quietly. To be honest, I wasn't even thinking about my upcoming birthday. When I went over Angela's behavior again, it still didn't seem right. "I doubt that would cause Angela to act this way."

"Okay, then can you think of any other reason why she would be avoiding you?"

I nodded. "At first I thought maybe she had just gotten into a fight with Jake, and wasn't ready to talk about it. Now I think it has something to do with the wolf pack."

"What do you mean?" she asked with a look of concern on her face.

"I called both Seth and Jake this morning, neither of them answered." She just stared at me so I continued, "The only time they don't answer the phone is when they are on patrol."

"Couldn't it just be a fluke that they were both unable to answer the phone?" She looked at her watch before adding, "If you called them early enough, couldn't they have been sleeping? Maybe they didn't hear the phone ringing."

"I guess that's possible," I admitted. "But my gut is telling me that's not the reason. They have always answered the phone. Even if I call them and they've been sleeping, they always answer. The only times they have ever ignored my phone calls have been when they are in wolf form." You couldn't really answer a phone when you were four-legged.

"Bella, at this point I don't think you should jump the gun. You have no idea if there is anything to be concerned about. You could be overreacting. Wait and see if they call you back before you get too worked up."

When I didn't say anything Melinda added, "If you still haven't heard anything by tomorrow, I'll call Henry. If it's necessary, he can take the day and drive up to Forks and check things out for himself."

"But I wouldn't want to put him to the trouble," I murmured feeling a bit guilty over possibly ruining Henry's day. "I don't want to be a pest."

"You wouldn't be a pest. You know my brother would be more than happy to help you and the kids in any way he could. If you're worried about the pack being on patrol, my brother can easily go there and find out."

I shook my head. "No. I'll wait and see if either of them calls me back."

"That works for me. Just let me know if you change your mind. How about if we get down to business?" she asked, but before she could do anything her phone rang. She answered, "Dr. Lawson."

I could see her face drop at whatever was being said to her and then I saw the hesitant look she gave me. "I'll be up shortly … thank you."

When she hung up the phone I couldn't restrain my curiosity. "What's wrong?"

I wasn't sure what it was, but I could tell whatever it was had her worried.

"I'll explain what that was in a moment. I want to take care of this first," she said and proceeded to remove her tools of torture from the drawer in her desk. I cringed.

Melinda must have noticed, because she burst out into a deep belly laugh. "Oh Bella, what am I going to do with you? You would think that after everything you've been through, a needle wouldn't cause that look of abject terror to overtake your face."

I gulped. "So, sue me. I can't help it if the sight of a needle causes this knee-jerk reaction. It's called an irrational fear for a reason."

She just continued to laugh as she got me ready to draw blood from my arm. "I'll analyze your blood later today when I have the chance. As you know it's just a precaution, I have no worries that the cancer will ever return. You and I both know that you have an impenetrable immune system now, and that your yearly treatments just help maintain the strength of it."

While she took my blood, she distracted me with conversation. "Do you all have plans for your birthday?"

If I had been honest with myself I hadn't even given my birthday a second thought. I dreaded the celebrating of my birthday; I only put up with anything because my children had so much fun.

"As far as I'm aware, there have been no plans made for my birthday. I don't think Angela would have planned anything."

She put a cotton ball over the puncture wound before removing the needle from my arm, then put my arm in the typical bent position to stop the little hole from bleeding anymore.

"Are you going to tell me what's troubling you?" I asked her.

"It's about Drew."

My mind went absolutely numb at just the mention of his name. "Drew? What's wrong with Drew? Is he here? I haven't been able to get a hold of him or his parents for the last two months."

I was starting to panic. Drew had been a boy I had first met when I underwent my first chemo treatment; he was only twelve years old at the time, but he brought some peace to my troubled soul. Over the last couple of years, I regarded Drew and his parents as an extension to my family.

"Drew's parents were killed in a sudden car accident around two months ago."

"No," I whispered. I could feel tears start to fall from my eyes, but I didn't care. "Why didn't you tell me sooner?"

"I just found out a couple weeks ago, and to be honest with you, my main concern was getting him transferred to this hospital." She looked at me with regret in her eyes. "I'm sorry, Bella, I should have told you sooner."

My mind was refusing to absorb anything. "Why did he need to be transferred to the hospital here? Was he injured in the same accident?"

She shook her head no. "His cancer;s back."

"How bad is it?" I asked. I was terrified of what I was going to hear.

At first I didn't know if she had heard my question. She seemed so deep in thought, but then she started to speak. "I really thought he was going to be in the clear … he has always been so positive that I began to believe just like he did." This can't be good. I knew I didn't want to hear what she was about to tell me, but I had to be strong. "Apparently, right before Will and Emily were killed in the car accident, Drew had apparently gone to their family doctor with symptoms of a bad chest cold. The doctor didn't think anything of it, especially since there had been quite a few patients in with similar symptoms."

"It wasn't nothing, was it?" I asked, in that moment I felt sick.

"Not for him it wasn't. His leukemia is back."

I could barely find enough voice to speak, but I managed somehow. "But he can undergo treatment again. He can beat this again, can't he?"

"Bella, it's moved to his liver and spleen."

I could tell that there was more to it than it moving into his organs. "What?" I asked.

"He doesn't want any more treatments. He doesn't want to spend his last days being sick from the chemo."

I was shocked, he had always been such a fighter and now it sounded like he was ready to throw in the towel. "He's giving up?"

Melinda couldn't seem to talk, but she nodded.

"What can I do? Can I go see him? I want to help?"

"He doesn't really have any family. I had to pull a lot of strings to arrange his transfer here so that I could be closer to him, but I'm getting pressure from my department head to move him into hospice."

"Hospice? Is he really that close?"

"It's hard to say. It could be a day; it could be a couple of weeks."

My tears started to fall. "I don't want him in hospice."

"Neither do I, Bella, neither do I."

"Could I take care of him? I could take care of him in my hotel room. I could try and make arrangements for a nicer suite to make him as comfortable as possible." I had to do something.

"Bella, be reasonable here. I can't ask you to extend your visit for an indeterminate time frame."

"You're not asking, I am, and I don't care how long it takes. If I have to sell a hundred more paintings or take out a mortgage against the house I will. I want to do this." The tears were getting the better of me and I choked out, "Please."

She seemed to contemplate what I said for a moment before she said, "Let's see what Drew wants to do."

I was startled when my phone began to ring. I pulled it out of my purse as quickly as I could, though it felt like it took forever with how hard I was shaking in that moment.

"Hello."

"Hi, Bells," I heard Jake's voice and couldn't imagine for the life of me what he would be calling me about. "I got your message."

Oh, that's right. I had completely forgotten about my trying to find out what was going on back home. In the light of what I had just heard from Melinda, nothing seemed to be making sense at the moment.

I must not have been paying attention because I suddenly heard Jake trying to get my attention. "Bells … Bells, are you there? Hello?"

"Sorry, Jake, I was a little … distracted."

"Hey, you okay?" Jake's voice seemed to get worried. "Did you get bad news from the doctor?"

"No … no, I'm fine. I just got some bad news about a friend of mine."

"I'm sorry … Do you have a minute? I need to tell you something." When I didn't respond to him, Jake added, "It's about the pack."

That single word seemed to get my mind restarted again. "Is this about why I couldn't reach you and Seth on the phone? And why Angela was acting so weird this morning?"

Melinda came over and took my hand in hers in an attempt to give me some comfort. It was probably very obvious in that moment just how turbulent my emotions were. I was very grateful for her friendship.

"I told Angela last night that the pack was picking up patrols, but I asked her not to say anything until I could contact you. I'm sorry," he quickly apologized.

"Whatever, Jake … could you just tell me what's going on. I need to hurry." Though I knew under normal circumstances I would have been really angry, I just couldn't bother with the anger right now.

"After you all left, Seth and I discovered a fresh trail that came to your home."

"What? Do you know who it is?"

"We aren't a hundred percent sure. We recognize the scent from a scent we first came across when Victoria was around, but we aren't sure who it is."

My mind instantly went to where it could risk going in that moment. "Could it be…?"

"No, Bella. It's not the Cullens'."

I breathed a sigh of relief. That was when I noticed Melinda grab her cell phone and start typing something. If I had to wager a guess I would assume that she was texting her mom and brother to see if they knew anything.

"Okay. So ... what now?" I asked Jake.

"Would you mind if Seth and I flew out to Minnesota?"

"Is that what you want to do?" I know keeping Jake and Seth away from their imprints when there was a potential threat was not something that anyone wanted to get in the way of.

"Yes, please."

"Okay." I took in a deep breath trying to calm myself down and asked, "So when are you two getting here? Are you going to need Angela to drive up to Minneapolis and pick you up from the airport? Do I need to arrange it so that you guys have a hotel room, or are you going to take care of that?"

"We'll take care of everything, Bells. Don't worry about anything." He paused for a moment and then asked, "Are you sure you're okay, Bells? You sound really down."

A sob I didn't know I was holding in burst out and I choked out. "No, Jake, I'm not okay, but I don't have the ability to get into it right now."

"Okay, but can you tell me if it's about your health? You're really scaring me," he said nervously

"My health is fine, Jake."

I looked over at Melinda and noticed she was putting down her phone. When she looked up at me she reached out her hand in a way that told me she wanted to talk to Jacob. I couldn't imagine how this would go. Jake knew nothing about Melinda, other than the fact that she had been my doctor. He had no idea that Melinda knew everything about the mythical world.

"Jake, hold on a second."

I pulled the phone away from my face and started to hand it over to Melinda.

"It's going to be okay, Bella. You go see Drew. I'll try to talk to Jacob."

"But—"

"It will be okay, Bella. If I need to explain about myself, I will. I'm fine with that. The important thing right now is to keep you all safe." When she saw me start to give in she added, "Go see Drew, Bella. He's been waiting for your visit."

**(Angela's POV)**

After Jacob called and let us know that they did in fact remember the scent they were tracking, and it was around when Victoria and the newborns had attacked, you could cut the tension with a knife.

Though the rest of the adults in the room were tense, I felt better when Jake told me that he was going to call Bella and tell her about the visitor. I didn't like keeping this kind of thing from her, and she had a right to know if her home was in danger. I was even more relieved when he mentioned that he and Seth were thinking of coming to Minnesota for the remainder of our trip.

For the rest of the adults in the room, it was a very good thing that the children were around for some comic relief.

"Squirt, did you do that on purpose?" Emmett asked in complete shock at what his two year old niece had managed to do to him.

Renesmee saw her handy work and busted into a fit of giggles.

"Oh, so you find it funny, do you?" When Renesmee couldn't answer due to uncontrollable laughter, Emmett started to laugh as well. "Well if you ask me, I think this deserves retaliation by the tickle monster," he said while he started to tickle her sides making her laugh even harder.

Finally, Rose put a stop to it and pulled her husband away from Nessie. "Nessie, sweetheart, I do believe you have achieved something, not even Alice has been able to accomplish."

When Edward laughed, I could only imagine what he had heard in her thoughts.

"Huh?" Nessie asked looking slightly confused.

"You are the only person able to get your Uncle Emmett to wear the color pink."

It seemed, Emmett had felt left out while he watched Edward and the kids decorate Bella's shirt, because he came over to ask Nessie if he could help right after she'd put hot pink paint all over her hand. The next thing we knew she turned to him and placed her hot pink hand onto his cheek while she kissed his other cheek and whispered, "No 'tank you, Uncle Em."

She didn't even seem to realize that she'd put paint on his cheek, but the rest of us had. Jasper was on the other side of the table where he laughed the biggest belly laugh I had ever heard, while Carlisle and Esme unsuccessfully attempted to hold in their own.

"Me too, Uncle Em, me too," Masen said quickly trying to get his uncle's attention.

The look on Emmett's face when he saw Masen's bright blue hand just itching to give him a hand print as well was absolutely priceless.

"I really don't think so, little man," he started to say, but immediately, Masen pulled out the bottom lip and gave him his best pout. I saw Emmett have an internal fight with himself on whether or not to give in to Masen, but Masen had it in the bag as soon as he cast his eyes downward in a 'you hurt my feelings' look. When Masen did that, not even the big and tough Emmett Cullen had the ability to say no.

"Oh, alright, little man."

I pulled out my camera so that I could get a picture of Emmett. When Masen took his paint covered hand and placed it against Emmett's right cheek, the excitement just poured out of Masen.

When Masen finally took his hand off, he smiled at Emmett and said, "Tank you, Uncle Em…I love you."

And with that, the biggest grin I had ever seen spread across Emmett's face.

"I love you too, Masen." And Emmett proceeded to pull Masen into a big bear hug.

*/*

After the birthday present had been completed and the kids and I had eaten our lunch, Esme asked if she could be the one to put Masen and Nessie down for their nap.

I decided to relax in the living room area when my phone rang. When I saw that it was Jake, I grinned. "Hi, Jake, so are you coming to Minnesota?"

"Ang."

His tone terrified me. "Jake, what is it, what's wrong?" In my peripheral vision I could tell that everyone else in the room with me had stopped moving.

"It's … I just … I don't know how she's going to handle it. She's going to be so devastated if she loses him."

He wasn't making any sense and I looked around to the rest of the people in the room. I think we were all equally confused by Jake's phone call.

"Jake, honey, you're not making any sense. What's going on? Who's this about?"

"Drew."

Dear god, no. "What happened to Drew, Jake? What's going on?"

This is so not good. I knew Bella had been trying to get in contact with Drew and his parents for a few months now, but she figured they were out of town for the summer.

"I called Bella, but before I even told her about the visitor I could tell she was really upset about something."

"Jake, you're killing me over here; just tell me what's happened to Drew?" I was trying to keep my voice down so that the kids didn't hear me mention his name.

"Bella was too broken up to talk to me about it, so Dr. Lawson got on the phone with me."

"She was still with Dr. Lawson when you called her?"

"Yeah, and I now know why Bella has such trust in her."

"Huh? What do you mean by that?" I started to get frustrated. I just wanted to know what was going on.

"She actually told me two stories; one about Drew and one about herself."

"A story about Dr. Lawson? Jake you're really confusing me. Can you just start the story?"

"It's two stories that I need to tell you, and I think that the Cullens should hear about the second half of the story at least. Because believe me when I tell you, the conversation I just had with her was … well it was quite surprising."

* * *

Thank you so much for reading.

I know it's been a really long time and I don't want to give you a long list of excuses, so I'll just say thank you for reading once again.


	7. Chapter 7

I want to thank the wonderful betas at Project Team Beta. They have helped me so much with both of my stories. They have brought some peace to my chaos.

Disclaimer: All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. The original characters and plot are the property of the author. The author is in no way associated with the owners, creators, or producers of any media franchise. No copyright infringement is intended.

* * *

**Chapter 7**

**(Bella's POV)**

I could tell you with absolute certainty that the first seventeen years of my life had been easy. Yes, I had a mother who was more childlike than parental, with a tendency to need me to be the adult in our relationship. I also knew that in my first seventeen years, I didn't get to see my father nearly enough while I grew up, but the most painful thing I ever had to go through was the death of my Grandma Swan.

Unfortunately, the last four years have made up for my lack of troubled times as a child. In fact, in the last four years my life has been in a constant state of danger, heartache, loss and physical pain, but I wouldn't change one thing … well I almost wouldn't change anything.

When Edward had first come into my life, I felt as though I were living a dream; the best dream possible. I fell in love, and not like the typical hormonal teenage girl kind of love – the kind where the girl only feels "like" towards a boy and it lasts all of about ten minutes before moving onto someone else. No, I fell in love; it was the kind of love where you feel fireworks exploding, like your heart is bursting, you're floating on air and you know you'll never be the same. It was the kind that only comes along once in a lifetime.

When Edward and the rest of the Cullens left, for a long time I had difficulty comprehending how I was going to get through life without him by my side. I became a zombie; I didn't sleep and I didn't talk to anybody unless I had to.

When I finally comprehended the fact that I was pregnant, something inside me woke up. I realized that Edward wasn't able to take everything that would remind me of him. No … he left me the best possible reminder I could have ever hoped for.

Being pregnant at eighteen wasn't an ideal situation, but I wouldn't have changed that for anything in the world. Granted, I would have preferred to have been blessed with a mother who would have stuck by my side.

Where the students I had gone to school with had an excuse of being young and immature, my mother had only herself to blame for her reaction to my news. Even finding out months later that her one and only child was classified as terminally ill didn't have an effect on how she felt about me.

While I made my way to Drew's room, I remembered when I first met him; even when he was sick he had a smile on his face that had the ability to take away some of the darkness I felt. Our schedules usually worked out that we wound up at the hospital for our chemo treatments on the same days, but that wasn't the only thing we had in common.

Though he had only been twelve years old at the time, we had both had similar stories of abandonment. No, he didn't have the love of his life walk away from him like I had, but we did both have mothers who turned their backs on us; we both also had stepmothers who made up for the inadequacies our biological mothers had. It wasn't long before Drew became like a little brother to me. He'd tell me about the girl or girls he had a crush on, but he also told me how much he hated being treated differently by all of the students at his school because of his illness.

I helped him with all of the schoolwork he had missed so that he didn't get held back, and he helped me learn how to listen to music again. He explained how at some point I had to get over my issues with music. I had told him as much as I could about Edward and why it hurt so much to listen to music since he had left, but he reminded me that I had two little babies that I had to think about. He convinced me that I could once again find joy in music, and if I found it difficult at times that I should remember my children and how they deserved the right to understand their father's love of it. It felt like it took forever, but eventually with Drew's help and a lot of baby steps along the way, I once again found myself able to appreciate music.

I had been so happy for Drew when he had gone into remission shortly after I had. It was especially impressive considering Drew had achieved his remission through conventional means; with the help of the chemo he was able to kick cancer's ass, while I had attained mine in other ways.

By the time I reached his room, I thought I had prepared myself for what I would see; I was so wrong. As more tears fell down my cheeks I was shocked by the scene in front of me. Even though Drew was asleep, the bruises under his eyes made it look as though he hadn't slept in weeks; he looked like a very broken, very sick young man.

He was normally so full of life. When I had seen him in June, he was excited about the cross country road trip they were going to take over the summer. Back then his body, though gangly from a recent growth spurt, still seemed strong. However, the sight that greeted me in that hospital room looked way too pale and skinny. He was so thin that if I didn't know better I would have thought he was battling some kind of eating disorder.

I walked up to his bed and lightly brushed my fingers through his light brown hair. When he opened his eyes and saw who it was, he whispered, "Hi."

"Hi." I bent down and kissed his cheek before asking, "Why didn't you call me?"

A lone tear slid down his cheek before he replied, "I didn't want to upset you."

"Drew … you have to know that I'm more upset about the fact that I had no idea you were going through any of this. I wish I had been told right away – I could've come to you. I would've tried to make arrangements for you to come live with me. I would've made sure you were getting the proper medical treatment." My hand just kept rubbing his cheek and sobbed, "You're my little brother, Drew – I love you."

He sniffed, with his own attempts at stopping the waterworks. "I love you too, Bella. I'm sorry."

He moved over in his bed enough so I could get into the bed next to him. Once I was on the bed I held him close to me as we both cried. "Shhhh! It's okay … I'm here now, and I'm not going anywhere."

"I'm scared," he whispered.

"I know you are," I responded and placed a kiss on his forehead. I could only imagine the fear and grief he'd dealt with since his parents' death. I knew I wouldn't be able to take away his fear, but I made a promise to try and relieve some of the grief he was bogged down with. "Dr. Lawson said you've refused treatment; is that right?"

He looked up at me and I saw the resignation in his eyes. "I don't want to die being sicker than a dog because of the chemo. I want to be able to have some kind of peace at the end."

The hot tears trailed down my cheeks at his words. I understood what he meant, and I knew there was no talking him out of it. "Okay, well … I can understand your feelings about that."

He graced me with a half-smile that didn't reach his eyes. "I knew you'd understand my feelings on this. Thank you."

"There is no need to thank me for anything."

He placed his tired head on my shoulder and I asked, "Is there anything special that you want?"

"Do you mean like a special meal or something?" he asked.

"Well that wasn't exactly what I was thinking, but if you have something in mind just let me know and I'll go get it." I replied before I continued on with an explanation. "I want to make sure that you're not alone, especially now. I thought … that is if you wanted … I don't know … Did you want me to see if they would allow you to be released into my care? I could try to get a larger room at the hotel, or I could rent an apartment."

He didn't respond right away, and I wasn't sure if he was thinking about what I had just asked or if he had fallen asleep. Finally, he answered, "Would they even allow you to do that? I mean even though I think of us as family, I know we're not. I don't know who's responsible for me anymore."

I thought about what he had said, and realized it may be near impossible to have him released into my care. "I guess I'm not sure. I can talk to Dr. Lawson about it; she may know if there is a social worker assigned to you. I can try. Would you like that?"

I felt the shoulder of my dress getting wet and realized he was crying again. "I would like that a lot," he sobbed.

"It's settled then. I'll ask her as soon as she gets here."

**(Angela's POV)**

Just like the night before, we used the conference phone in the Cullens' hotel room to find out what Jake had to tell us. In that moment I didn't know whether to feel dread or fear when it came to what we would find out, but I knew from his tone when he had first called that it wasn't good. When I looked around it was plainly evident on the faces of everyone with me that I wasn't the only one concerned.

When Jake finally answered his phone I got started. "Okay Jake, please tell us all what's going on."

"I will, but can I go off topic for a minute to ask a question?"

"Go ahead, Jake," Carlisle calmly answered.

"Which one of you followed Bella this morning?"

I was surprised by his question, but when I looked around I could saw that I was the only one who was unsure of what Jake was talking about.

"Alice and I went down to the underground tunnel," Emmett answered quickly. "We wanted to see if we could get a glimpse of Bella on her way to the hospital." Emmett looked as though he had been caught with his hand in the cookie jar. "How did you even know that Bella had been watched?" he asked.

"You could say … Bella has developed a bit of a sixth sense," I stated.

"What do mean?" Alice asked.

"She can sense when she's being watched. She can also somehow tell if that person is somebody dangerous or someone she can trust." I explained.

"This morning, when Bella was around half way to the hospital, she stopped and looked around. Emmett and I were hidden, so we didn't think much of it," Alice informed us. She looked towards the phone. "Did she think she was being watched by somebody dangerous?"

"No," Jake answered. "In fact, she could tell that whoever was watching her hadn't meant any harm, but that doesn't mean she wasn't pissed. She hates being watched without being informed ahead of time. She made us promise her a while ago that we would never watch her unless we let her know first."

I snorted, remembering what had happened the last time she was watched without her consent. Though I found it amusing, I knew very well that Paul still felt some resentment towards Bella, but I guess wounded pride could do that to a man.

Edward must have heard my thoughts about that day because the next thing I knew he was bent over laughing hysterically. Seeing his amusement at my thoughts triggered my own laughter as I once again replayed 'Rambo Bella' in my head.

"What's so funny?" Jake asked.

"It's … nothing … Jake." I could barely get the words out I was laughing so hard. "Edward … just … saw … what … Bella … did ... to Paul."

"Oh." He said and snorted. "The pack likes to replay that little scene to Paul and Jared anytime their egos get a little too inflated."

"You mean she actually did that?" Edward stopped laughing and looked at me amazed. "I thought Angela was just thinking about something Bella had wanted to do."

I had finally gotten my laughter under control. "Oh, she most definitely did that."

"Bella's no pushover, and she refuses to be treated like a weakling." Jake added.

"What on earth are you guys talking about?" Emmett asked, exasperated. "I really hate these private conversations you're always having, Edward."

"Sorry. The last time Jake and Seth had to leave the area for an extended time period, they had wanted the pack to check in on all of us while they were gone. Unfortunately, Sam went a little above and beyond. Instead of stopping by or calling the house to make sure everyone was okay he arranged for guard dogs to stake out her home." I was cut off at that point by Jake.

"I resent the terms guard dogs, Ang." Jake sounded a little annoyed.

"Sorry, Jake. You know I didn't mean anything bad towards you, but at the same time you weren't there, I was. Jared and Paul were acting like your typical guard dogs. They even growled at Bella when she stepped out the backdoor of her own house."

"Yeah, I know they growled at her, but you also know that I chewed them out for that when I got home. If you put yourself in their situation, how would you have reacted if you watched the person you were looking out for come outside with a shotgun in their hands?"

At that Emmett laughed. "Wait, are you telling us that little Bella Swan pulled a gun on a couple of werewolves?"

"She may be little, but since Charlie found out about the kind of danger Bella had been in, he wanted to make sure she could handle a gun if it was ever needed. They go to the shooting range together probably once a week. In fact, he loves to brag to everyone he knows that he's the father of the best shot in the state." I could see looks of disbelief and amusement on the faces around me.

"Did Bella shoot the wolves?" Esme asked, looking concerned.

"No, but she sent them a warning shot that grazed the fur on the top of their heads." Jake said, and I could hear the pride in his voice, and when I looked around I could see at least all of the men were equally impressed.

"When did you find out about this morning's situation?" I asked, curious as to when it had come up.

"Well, she called and left a voicemail message for me. She informed me that she knew that you were keeping something from her, and that since she couldn't reach Seth or me by phone she had a suspicion that it may have something to do with the pack. If her tone weren't irritated enough when she told me that she became irate when she mentioned something about being watched and that if we've put another protection detail on her without her consent that…"

When he didn't say anymore I looked around the room. Where Esme, Carlisle and Edward looked concerned about what Jake said, the others had a look of anticipation on their faces.

"What did she say?" Emmett asked with excited eyes.

Jake cleared his throat. "She said if we'd issued a watch over her with her approval that she wasn't going to give a warning shot this time." He cleared his throat and quickly said, "She would pump my ass so full of buckshot that it would take me a week to be able to sit down again."

"That's my girl!" I heard Emmett shout in glee, before he turned towards Edward. "Your girl has turned into quite the badass, little brother."

Edward just shook his head and grinned, while the rest of the group wore a mixture of amused and shocked expressions by Bella's threat to Jake, especially Alice and Rosalie, who were sitting on the couch giggling over the entire situation.

After everyone was done finding amusement in what Edward called Bella's _tiger-kitten_ routine, Alice decided to say something. "Angela, it sounds like being a bad liar is something that both you and Bella have in common. She was never able to lie convincingly."

"Actually, that's all changed. She seems to have gotten really good at lying…" Jake trailed off before he added, "She lies so well that I was completely caught off-guard by what I just found out."

"What do you mean, Jake?" I asked.

"When I spoke to Bella a little bit ago, she became too upset so Dr. Lawson got on the phone to tell me what was going on. She told Bella not to worry, she would handle the explanations that needed to be told and she sent her off to be with Drew."

"Who is Drew?" Edward asked.

"Drew … well in the simplest term to use when describing Drew would be …" I trailed off trying to find the right way to describe their relationship.

Jake picked up where I left off said, "Like a favorite little brother."

I nodded at Jake's terminology and continued, "Drew was twelve years old when they met at Bella's first chemotherapy treatment. It was almost like they recognized a kindred spirit in the other person."

"Was it something in particular that they recognized in each other?" Carlisle asked me.

"Abandonment," I said quietly, and noticed Edward cringe. "No, Edward. It wasn't over the abandonment that she felt when you and the rest of your family left. It was the abandonment of their mothers."

I saw shock in all of their faces.

"Stupid, good for nothing, bitch." Jake muttered on the other end of the phone.

"What happened with Renee?" Edward asked, while he looked at me with a very serious look on his face.

I tried to think of other things; I wanted to keep Edward out of my head as long as humanly possible. "Nothing good is what happened with Renee." I looked at everyone before I continued, "I'm not sure if you're aware, I don't even know if you all have even met her, but Renee and Bella are complete opposites."

"That's an understatement," Jake muttered. "But if you ask me that is a good thing. Bella is kind, dedicated to the ones she loves and has a tendency to be far too forgiving, while Renee is childish and extremely selfish."

"But that fact is something that both Bella and Drew have in common. They will both, if given the opportunity, bend over backwards to help somebody they care about." I shifted in my seat and looked at Edward. "Drew had the misfortune of having a mother who was incapable of dealing with the fact that her five year old child was diagnosed with leukemia. Within a month of his diagnosis, she left both her husband and Drew and signed over all legal rights of her child to Will."

"What mother would give up their rights for the child they had raised since birth?" Rosalie asked, with a fierceness I wouldn't want directed at me if I could ever help it.

"Unfortunately, in these kinds of cases – meaning someone with a terminally ill child – it's usually a long standing immaturity on the parent's side." Carlisle explained in a soothing tone. I had a suspicion that a soothing tone wouldn't really help with Rosalie's temper.

"Immature is exactly what I would use to characterize both Renee and Drew's mom," I whispered.

"When did Renee abandon Bella?" Esme asked. I could tell that she was conflicted, like a part of her didn't want to know that it wasn't only her family that had devastated Bella, but at the same time I could see that she wanted the full story.

"Renee … well she disowned Bella when she found out about the pregnancy."

I heard Edward growl before Jake cut in. "It wasn't exactly the fact that Bella was pregnant that caused Renee to abandon her." I could hear Jake's temper try and get the better of him, and when he continued his voice dripped with his anger. "Renee disowned her, because Bella refused to abort the pregnancy."

At this Esme hissed. "She wanted Bella to terminate the pregnancy? What kind of mother would turn their back on their child, just because their daughter didn't want to do that? I mean, Bella was eighteen; she was a legal adult; she should have been allowed to make her own decision regarding something like that."

"I can tell you what kind of mother would do that," Jake said angrily. "Renee would. While Bella was growing up Renee never once thought twice about telling her that she'd made a huge mistake getting married and becoming pregnant with her at such a young age."

"Bella never mentioned anything like that to me," Edward said quietly, yet his eyes smoldered with his own temper. It was as though he had to fight to get each word out without unleashing the vampire within. "She only ever mentioned how she felt like the parent in their relationship. How she had to be the one to make sure there was food in the house and that the bills were paid on time."

"Yeah, well, Bella's special. She loves her mom, no matter how cruel or immature Renee acts; to this day she still hopes that they will be able to mend their relationship."

"Did Phil have anything to do with Renee's reaction to Bella being pregnant?" Edward asked.

"No. In fact Bella and Phil talk on the phone all the time." Jake said.

It really irritated me how Phil had to hide his phone calls with Bella, but that's just how it was. "They usually talk while Phil is at work, because Renee would blow a gasket if she ever found out."

"That's awful," Esme whispered. "So, not only did Bella have to deal with us leaving, being pregnant, finding out she was seriously ill, and being in danger from Victoria, but she also had to deal with her mom wanting nothing to do with her?"

"Pretty much," Jake said.

"And that was one reason why Bella and Drew became such fast friends. They bonded over the fact that they both knew what it was like to have their mothers turn their backs on them," I said. "They also knew what it was like to find the kind of love they were both missing from a mother when their fathers remarried. Emily was a godsend for Drew and she has cherished every minute they've had together."

"Sue has pretty much been the same for Bella," Jake added. "Sue understands what it's like to lose somebody she loves. I know Bella didn't lose Edward because of a death, but it doesn't mean she still hasn't had to deal with her own type of mourning over the last few years. Sue knows what it's like to suddenly lose someone you love, someone you hoped to share your whole life with." Jake's voice became quieter and I knew he was remembering Harry. Much like Charlie had always been, Harry was like another father to Jake and it still made him sad to think about what had happened to him. "Charlie may know what it's like to lose somebody he once loved, but he still had a verbal contact with Renee; there was no way he could've understood what it felt like for Sue or Bella – losing all ability to see or speak to the person you loved."

When I remembered another thing Sue had been helpful with I smiled. "Sue also understands what it's like to have children who are special."

Alice took Jasper's hand and said, "Then I'm glad that Bella was able to find that relationship. She has been through too much heartache as it is."

"It's only going to get worse…" Jake whispered.

"What did Dr. Lawson tell you, Jake?" I asked.

"She told me a lot."

He was stalling, and the longer he stalled, the shorter I found my patience getting. "Jake, what did Dr. Lawson tell you about Drew?"

"Drew's at the Mayo."

"Well I figured he had to be there when you mentioned Bella handing the phone over so she could go see him. Is he in town for a check-up like Bella?" I asked.

"Drew is a patient at the Mayo clinic, Ang – his cancer's back," he whispered.

I could feel my heart jolt with that news. How was that even possible? The last time we'd seen Drew, he was a typical teenager, full of life.

"Why didn't Will or Emily call Bella when they found out the cancer was back?" I asked.

I looked at the faces of the Cullen family. They all looked concerned – whether it was for Drew or for what this was going to do to Bella, I wasn't sure. I only knew that they seemed to be just as concerned as I was in that moment.

When I heard Jake sigh I felt my anxiety triple and knew that whatever he was about to tell me, it wasn't good. "They didn't call Bella because they were killed in a car accident two months ago."

"What?" I asked.

"After Will and Emily were killed in the car accident, Dr. Lawson believes he was unable to even think of whom to call. All he knew was that his world had been turned upside down." He paused for a moment. "Dr. Lawson didn't even find out about this until two weeks ago. As soon as she found out she began pulling as many strings as possible to get Drew transferred to the Mayo so that he could be under her care."

"What's his prognosis?" Carlisle asked.

"Dr. Lawson said something about the cancer having moved into his liver and spleen."

From the look on Carlisle's face, I knew it was bad.

"Has he started treatments?" I asked.

"No. Drew has decided he's done fighting."

"What do you mean he's done fighting?" I yelled, my nerves finally getting the better of me. I didn't understand – that just didn't sound like something Drew would do. It was as if my mind didn't want to accept what Jake had just told us.

"There is little hope, especially now, that he would even make it through this time around, and the truth is…he just doesn't have it in him to fight anymore. Think about it, Ang. Put yourself in his place. You've just lost your parents in a devastating accident, and you find out your cancer is back. Not only that, but it's worse than it's ever been before."

I understood what Jake said, but I still didn't want to accept it. "He could have called Bella; she would have been by his side in a nanosecond."

"I know she would've, Ang – that's not the problem. The fact is that he was already so sick and so distraught over the accident he couldn't think straight."

"Did Dr. Lawson say how much longer Drew has?" Alice asked. I hadn't even realized until I felt a cool arm wrap around my waist that Alice had moved next to me. I was so grateful we had stumbled across the Cullens. If this was as bad as Jake said it was Bella would need their support to get through this.

"The doc says he doesn't have long. She said it could be a day, or it could be a couple weeks. It all depends on how much fight is left in Drew."

I wiped some tears away and felt somewhat comforted with Alice next to me, but when I thought about what Bella must have been going through in that moment I felt my heart clench in my chest. This was going to break her heart.

"You said Bella was with him right now?" I asked.

"Yeah, I'm sure she'll be with him as much as possible right now."

I saw sadness in Edward's face, but I wasn't sure if it was because Bella was losing someone she considered family, or if it was because he was jealous over Bella's relationship with this young boy.

Edward looked at me and whispered, "It's the first one, Angela. My heart aches to think of the pain Bella must be going through right now. If I could, I would give anything to take that feeling away for her."

"What else did the doc tell you?" Emmett asked. He seemed anxious to find out what else Jake may have been told.

"After Dr. Lawson told me about Drew, she told me that she knows about the pack and that she and her family would like to help us identify the vampire."

I felt myself stiffen with shock. How on earth could she know about the pack? Better yet, how did she know about vampires? I was seriously confused. "How does she know about any of that?" I asked.

"Is she a she-wolf too?" Emmett asked with a bit of a smirk on his face, earning him a punch in the arm from Rosalie.

"No, she's not a wolf," Jake replied. "Actually, it appears she was Bella's resource on half-vampire, half-human children."

"Are you telling me that she's like Renesmee and Masen?" I asked, astonished. I had met her a few times, and I knew for a fact that she wasn't a vampire.

"Yes. She and her younger brother Henry are just like the twins," Jake confirmed.

"So that's how Bella knows what to expect when the children are full grown?" Esme asked.

"Yes. In fact, you've met Dr. Lawson's brother Henry before."

"I have?" I had no clue when I would have met him.

"You know him as Henry Jones."

"You're telling me that the man who sells Bella's art work is Dr. Lawson's brother?" This just got weirder and weirder.

"Yes."

"Why is he going by a different name?" I asked.

"I don't know," Jake admitted. "Maybe it's the same reason why Bella uses a different name on her artwork."

I guess it made sense. Bella at one time mentioned how anonymity was very important in the vampire world. Many vampires will have a couple of identities they use as a way to keep themselves safe from discovery. I looked up at the Cullens and wondered if that was something they had to do as well.

"Is Bella friends with the entire family?" Esme asked.

"I would assume so, but we didn't really talk about it."

"How are they planning on helping the pack?" Edward asked.

"It sounds like Henry is planning on driving up to Forks sometime tonight. He's going to see if he can identify the scent."

"Will that work?" Rosalie asked.

"It's worth a shot. She mentioned that if Henry can't identify the vamp, they could have their mom travel to Washington to see if she knows the scent."

"Where is their mom?" Edward asked, Jake.

"I don't know exactly, but they didn't want to startle the pack with too much vampire activity in the area, which is why they figured it would be best if Henry goes first."

"And none of you had any clue Bella's doctor or her brother was like the kids?" Jasper asked. "Jake, have you ever met either of them before?"

"I've met the doc, but not her brother. I would have to say that they are just like the twins; they don't smell like a vampire."

"But the twins don't smell human either," Esme mentioned. "Well at least their blood doesn't smell like human blood – it just smells like perfume."

"That's probably due to the vampire gene," Carlisle speculated. "It probably has a camouflaging affect to their blood supply. That element probably protects them from other vampires."

"Did you discuss anything else during your phone call?" Rosalie asked.

"No, not really … she mentioned there was more to tell, but it was up to Bella to tell us. She's very grateful to Bella for keeping their secret, and said that anything else we may need to know would have to come from Bella. She said it wasn't her secret to tell, and that Bella will tell us when she's ready."

What more could there be? I had a difficult enough time trying to grasp what we had just found out about Bella's doctor. To think that there could be more information…

"Have you made arrangements to get here?" Jasper asked Jake.

"Almost. Seth has been checking the airlines to find the earliest flight available, but it looks like it wouldn't be until eight o'clock tonight. I think it's some kind of red eye, because we won't get into Minneapolis until around two or three in the morning," Jake grumbled.

"Are you going to need a ride from the airport?" Carlisle asked.

"We'll need to figure out some kind of arrangements to get down to Rochester. I just don't know if I can afford to rent a car on top of the expense of the plane tickets," he admitted. He had a valid point; even with Jake working as a mechanic and my small salary through the county, we didn't make enough to cover a lot of extras. The only reason I was able to come to Minnesota with Bella was because she covered the expenses as a thank you for watching the kids. "If it comes down to it, I guess Seth and I could always phase and run the rest of the way, but I don't really think there's enough tree coverage to hide two enormous wolves."

"Don't worry about the expense, Jake." Edward looked at me then back at the phone before he continued, "You're coming here to help protect Bella and my children, so I'll cover any and all expenses you have for this trip. After everything you've done for Bella over the last couple of years, it's the least I can do."

"We couldn't possibly…"

"Please let me do this?" Edward asked quietly. "Please … I want to … I need to do this. In fact, how easy do you think it would be to convince Charlie and Sue to come along with you and Seth?"

"What are you thinking, son?" Carlisle asked.

"I just think with everything that is going on right now; Bella could use the support of her family. If Charlie and Sue came with … I'm not positive, but I would think she would appreciate having their support."

"I'm sure she would, Edward." Esme smiled at Edward.

"But what will Charlie do if he finds out we're here?" Rosalie asked. "How much does he really know about us?"

"I'm sure Charlie will be a bit upset. I mean his daughter's heart was broken when you all left; of course he's going to be angry. What father wouldn't be?" I said, and noticed out of the corner of my eye how Edward flinched when I brought up his departure. "And in regards to your other question, Rosalie, I think Charlie figured out what you are a couple years ago, you know during the whole Victoria-wants-to-kill-his-daughter situation. He's never right out and said the word vampire, but he knows the legends and he understands that his grandchildren are only half human. I'm sure he's put all of the puzzle pieces together and has come to the right conclusion."

"Yeah, I mean, _he__is_ Bella's dad. Where do you think she got her inquisitive nature from?" Jake commented. "You don't honestly think Bella got that trait from Renee, do you?"

"I guess you're right." Rosalie looked a little upset about that, but it looked like she would deal.

"Regardless of how he feels about me or even what he knows exactly my only concern in all of this is Bella, and I think it would help her out if they were here," Edward explained.

"If you really want me to, I'll ask them," Jake said. "I'm sure as soon as they hear about Drew they'll want to do something to help out."

"Good. Jake, if you ask them and they are okay with all of this, let me know and I will make sure all of the travel arrangements are taken care of."

"And if Charlie wants to call and give you the third degree?" he asked Edward. "Are you prepared to answer for your actions from three years ago?"

"I'm prepared to do anything, as long as it helps Bella in the long run."

* * *

Thank you all for reading. I know I'm not the quickest at updates, but I'm trying to get better at it.


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